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CNN Live Today

Interview with Professor of Clinton Course, Margaret Scranton

Aired May 31, 2002 - 13:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The University of Arkansas is planning the first academic course on Bill Clinton's presidency, and a Republican is going to be teaching it. Political science professor Margaret Scranton joins us from Little Rock with this new course syllabus. Good afternoon, Professor Scranton.

MARGARET SCRANTON, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS: Good afternoon, Carol.

LIN: Is it too late for me to enroll? Do I have to take the SATs again?

SCRANTON: There is still time.

LIN: All right. Well I may be there, because this an amazing idea that you have. Why is it that you feel that this is a course that needs to be taught?

SCRANTON: Well, there are many important firsts and significant aspects of the Clinton administration, and I think the place to explore those is here at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. We have such a natural advantage, being close to presidential library and the Clinton School.

There will be so many exciting speakers and conferences that we can take advantage of. The course will give us a structure that we can use to join those events.

LIN: It seems to me, though, that there are going to be days when you are speaking to a generation who's going to remember this shot at the infamous rope line, which I hope we can bring up in time, the infamous hug of Monica Lewinski. And this perhaps might be a defining moment for the kids in your class. This is perhaps what they are going to remember this presidency for, the scandal.

SCRANTON: One of the things an academic course tries to do is put that moment in perspective. And so of course we're not going to whitewash any event, and we're going to treat the scandals as part of the presidency. But we want to put those in the perspective of the entire record for President Clinton, and also compared to other administrations.

And I think with our students, especially here in Little Rock, most of them will already have met President Clinton on such a line. LIN: That's very possible. You have actually met the man yourself, right?

SCRANTON: Yes.

LIN: What did you think of him?

SCRANTON: Well, of course, being a Republican, I have to separate my reactions from a partisan position. You know, he was not my president. But as an academic, I can't deny the many achievements of the Clinton administration. And as an academic, I want to understand those eight years and what they mean for the presidency and also the legacy of that administration for the future.

LIN: What fascinates you about this man?

SCRANTON: Well, I think all of us are drawn to the campaign qualities and the communication skills. Anyone who has witnessed Clinton in person operating on such a line is just fascinated with his ability to interact with people, with his communication skills, with his ability to make you feel as if you are the center of the universe at that moment.

LIN: That is what people say time and time again. So when you take a man with such a big personality and so much, you know, personal history, for better or worse, as of his presidency, how do you balance the scandals with the more academic aspects of his presidency?

SCRANTON: Well, I think in time we will see the scandals recede and the more substantive issues come to the fore. If I were teaching this course 20 years from now, I think the scandals would play a much less prominent place than they do in the debate today.

LIN: Who are your speakers then? Are you going to have some of the people who were involved in some of the investigations speak to the class?

SCRANTON: We have one speaker firmly lined up, and his name is Bill Clinton.

LIN: Really? Oh, great!

SCRANTON: It is going to be so exciting. The speakers are just going to have the most wonderful time being able to ask the president questions. The other speakers have not been firmed up yet. It is a little bit too soon for that. We hope to take advantage of people who happen to be visiting the Clinton Library and School.

We hope to have a few cabinet officials, maybe some campaign staff. And of course we also want to invite people who were on the other side of the debate, who might be present in Little Rock.

LIN: All right. Well, I suppose you want to keep the juicier names to yourself for now, but we will look forward to the course syllabus and who you do get on line for these kids. I think it will be a great experience for them. SCRANTON: Thank you, Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much, Professor Scranton. A lot to learn yet about this very complex man.

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