Podcast Summary: Slow Burn – The Clinton Impeachment | Ep. 6: God Mode

Host: Slate Podcasts
Episode Release Date: September 19, 2018

Overview:

This episode, “God Mode,” explores a pivotal moment in the Clinton impeachment saga: the public exposure of President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky and the immediate, culture-shaking aftermath. It examines how the story emerged from the fringes of the media, the reactions from the White House, conservative and faith-based critics, and Clinton’s supporters, all under the microscope of relentless press coverage and shifting public opinion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Breaking of the Lewinsky Story

• Main Event: News of Clinton’s alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky bursts into the public sphere, disrupting planned political narratives and media coverage.

  • Mara Liasson (NPR): Describes receiving a scoop about Clinton’s State of the Union (Social Security reforms), only to have plans derailed by the Lewinsky news
    Notable Quote:

    “How quaint.” — Mara Liasson (00:40)

  • The Drudge Report and Matt Drudge break the initial story after learning Newsweek was sitting on it
  • Lucianne Goldberg, Linda Tripp’s literary agent, provides key tip-off to Drudge

• Mainstream Media Reaction:

  • The story takes three days to move from web rumor to a front-page Washington Post story.
  • Quote:

    "We wake up and read the Post and we see the story about Monica Lewinsky and we looked at each other and we went, ew, yuck. I guess we have to ask him about this." — Mara Liasson (00:56)

2. The White House in Shock

• Staffers Respond:

  • White House and government staff, including those long-accustomed to scandals, feel uncertain and destabilized.
  • Eli Addy (Vice President Gore’s office, later The West Wing writer): “The building, you know, was very functional, but with this kind of overlay of unreality.”
  • Rumors swirl, with some prematurely speculating Al Gore could soon be president (03:59)

• Clinton’s Demeanor:

  • Liasson describes Clinton visibly tense during their NPR interview, his “jaw muscle pulsing.” (02:59)
  • Clinton offers controlled denials:

    "Mara, I'm going to do my best to cooperate with the investigation..." — Bill Clinton (02:41)

3. Clinton’s Famous Public Denial

• Setting:

  • At an otherwise mundane education grant announcement, Clinton surprises staff and press with an unplanned public statement.
  • Memorable Moment (05:08):

    “I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I’m going to say this again. I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time. Never. These allegations are false…” — Bill Clinton

• Impact:

  • Clinton’s emphatic denial momentarily reassures his key public supporters, including Madeleine Albright.

4. The Rise of Moral Outcry and the Religious Right

• Conservative Response:

  • Influential voices from the Religious Right, rising in political power since Reagan, see the scandal as a defining moral crisis.
  • Senator John Ashcroft (MO) is highlighted for stressing the indivisibility of private and public morality (06:24):

    “Morality is not divisible. It is not divisible by any man. It is not divisible by any president.”

  • Republican critics rally around the message that Clinton has brought “shame upon a great institution” (06:04)

• Liberal Defense:

  • Clinton allies and much of the Democratic base insist either that he did nothing wrong, or that even if he had, “it wasn’t as grave or dangerous as a campaign to chase him out of office.” (07:23)

5. Media, Public Opinion, and Political Warfare

• The story is fought over in every medium: newspapers, burgeoning websites, and especially in the relentless churn of televised news.
• Public opinion polls provide a continuous barometer of America’s views, showing societal division and fluctuating support.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mara Liasson on seeing the Post story:

  "Ew, yuck. I guess we have to ask him about this." — Mara Liasson (00:56)

• Clinton’s classic denial:

  “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time. Never. These allegations are false...” — Bill Clinton (05:08)

• Eli Addy's depiction of White House uncertainty:

  “The building… was very functional, but with this kind of overlay of unreality… nobody really knew what it meant.” — Eli Addy (03:40, 03:53)

• John Ashcroft on morality:

  "Morality is not divisible. It is not divisible by any man. It is not divisible by any president." — Sen. John Ashcroft (06:24)

• Narrator’s summary of the period:

  "Most Americans were pretty sure that wasn't true [about the official stance]. And so, during the spring and summer of 1998, conservatives who thought Clinton's alleged behavior was immoral and unforgivable went to war against his defenders…" (07:08)

• Clinton’s confession, foreshadowed:

  “I don’t think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned.” — Bill Clinton (08:21)

Important Timestamps

• 00:32 – Mara Liasson prepares for her Clinton interview
• 01:10 – The Drudge Report breaks the Lewinsky story; background on its spread
• 02:41 – Clinton’s initial on-the-record denial to NPR
• 03:40 – Eli Addy on the White House’s stunned mood
• 05:08 – Clinton’s famous televised denial
• 06:04-06:24 – Conservative and religious right condemnation
• 07:00–08:00 – The battle for public opinion and cultural stakes
• 08:21 – Clinton’s later admission alluded to: “I have sinned.”

Episode Tone

The episode blends investigative storytelling, first-person recollections, and archival media with a sense of tension and disbelief. The tone is both reflective and direct, matching the chaos and significance of the unfolding events.

For history buffs, political junkies, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of media, morality, and power, “God Mode” delivers a compelling account of a presidency—and a nation—under siege.