# The Pastiche of a Presidency, Imitating a life,in 957 boring Pages **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 21, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484 "2004-06-21T18:06:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/61 "2004-06-24T16:03:10Z")
“William Jefferson Clinton’s ‘My Life’ is, by a generous measure, the richest American presidential autobiography - no other book tells us as vividly or fully what it is like to be president of the United States for eight years.” –Larry McMurtry, New York Times Sunday [Book Review](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/23/books/review/0623books-mcmurtry-clinton.html) ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/62 "2004-06-24T19:59:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Pardon me Adminstrator Gaudere, but I am not sure that you understand the situation. I have four counts of misconduct pending over in Cafe Society for simply asking if a guy who was promoting Slick Willie’s book if he was a shill. He said he wasn’t and the Moderator over there believed him, so I think it best for the time being to limit my posts to Great Debates where the Moderators (such as you) are more understanding. [Moderator Hat ON] Do NOT do mod-shopping. If you have debate, it goes here. If you just want to say “look, this book got a bad review”, put it in Cafe Society. If you want to say “Look you stupid Libbies, your hero writes so bad no one likes his book! Ha-ha!” put it in the Pit. I am NOT understanding of people hiding out in my forum because the correct forum is too scary or they can’t obey the mod’s rules there. [Moderator Hat OFF] ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/63 "2004-06-24T23:05:29Z")
[QUOTE=Gaudere] If you just want to say “look, this book got a bad review”, put it in Cafe Society. [QUOTE] Or stay right here and debate the proposition “Michi Kakutani is a big ol’ turkey,” something we whose regular paper is the NYT have taken for granted for many years now. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/64 "2004-06-24T23:35:47Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > I haven’t read Clinton’s book and don’t intend to. I’m just delighted with the rage of the Clinton haters. And I hope I can add to it when I remind them that Nancy Reagan’s book was a flop, sold few copies and was remaindered[sup]\*[/sup] in just a few months. > > Ha, ha. And I repeat HA. > > - From Merriam-Webster _Collegiate_: remainder - 3) a book sold for a reduced price by the publisher after sales have slowed. Are you \*sure \*you aren’t talking about Hillary’s book, or did enough of her cronies mass-puchase enough copies to make it seem like it was actually worth something? According to everything I ever heard or read about it, it was almost totally lacking in substance…much like her husband’s, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/65 "2004-06-24T23:44:17Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > …much like her husband’s, apparently. Aren’t you the same guy who posted a link and advised people to read it before talking about it? Oh, right. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/66 "2004-06-25T00:09:18Z")
Do we actually have a credible cite that bulk orders of Hillary Clinton’s book were made by her friends and family to boost its standings? Or is this just another one of those right-wing fantasies that get bandied around to cover up the latest GW Bush screwup? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/67 "2004-06-25T00:33:46Z")
> [@Zagadka](#): > > Aren’t you the same guy who posted a link and advised people to read it before talking about it? Nope, not me! Sorry. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/68 "2004-06-25T00:35:50Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Nope, not me! Sorry. > 😃 Almost hate to do this, buddy, but [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4995212&postcount=76](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4995212&postcount=76) Sorry, caught ya again ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/69 "2004-06-25T00:36:06Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Do we actually have a credible cite that bulk orders of Hillary Clinton’s book were made by her friends and family to boost its standings? Or is this just another one of those right-wing fantasies that get bandied around to cover up the latest GW Bush screwup? I don’t know, that’s why I asked. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/70 "2004-06-25T00:51:21Z")
> [@Zagadka](#): > > Almost hate to do this, buddy, but > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4995212&postcount=76](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4995212&postcount=76) > > Sorry, caught ya again ☹ I appreciate it, pal :D, but I’m afraid you are mistaken. Please read my post in the linked thread again. I did not post the link to Hitchin’s article and _advise_ people to read it, or claim that they _should_ read it before commenting, I posted the link so that any of those who wanted to read it could do so, given that there was so much conversation about the article but apparently no link to it. In other words, I was being good-samaritanish and trying provide a link so that those on the thread who had not seen it could do so. Nice try, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/71 "2004-06-25T03:07:58Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > In other words, I was being good-samaritanish and trying provide a link so that those on the thread who had not seen it could do so. > > Nice try, though. But there was a link to it. About 7 or 8 posts up, right at the head of the whole series of posts that were talking about it, as you referred to here. But it was nice to think about providing the link. Also putting it in the pit thread that you did. Thanks. I just started reading _My Life_ tonight. After 5 pages, I highly recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/72 "2004-06-25T03:51:47Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > But there was a link to it. About 7 or 8 posts up, right at the head of the whole series of posts that were talking about it, as you referred to here. Do you think perhaps this could be the reason I posted the link? As I said, a quick perusal of the posts didn’t reveal a link and as people were discussing it I thought someone might like to actually read it. > [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > But it was nice to think about providing the link. Also putting it in the pit thread that you did. Thanks. > > I just started reading _My Life_ tonight. After 5 pages, I highly recommend it. Is this a loose cannon post, or did you happen to give any thought to what I actually said, namely that I did a cursory run-through and didn’t see a link (can you explain to me, even remotely, what my motivation would be to post a link I knew was already there), and further I apologized in the event it had been posted but I had missed it. And with regard to my posting it in the Pit thread, give me a break! The Pit was where the thread existed! What am I supposed to do, post something germane to one thread in a thread in a different forum because you don’t think it belongs in the forum where the actual thread is located? Sheesh! You guys complain I’m all uppity (you know, proclaiming wins and everything) and then you go and post shit like this. No wonder you’re so insecure! ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/73 "2004-06-25T11:59:58Z")
**SA** , it just seemed to me that you were still claiming that there had been no link. In fact, you said: > [@](#): > > I posted the link so that any of those who wanted to read it could do so, given that there was so much conversation about the article but apparently no link to it. This implied to me that you were still claiming that there was no link there. If this is not the case, then no sweat, brother. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/74 "2004-06-25T12:03:36Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Sheesh! You guys complain I’m all uppity (you know, proclaiming wins and everything) and then you go and post shit like this. No wonder you’re so insecure! I forgot to comment on this part. Without being snarky, a) The “I’m the winner” comments actually do make you seem insecure, and b) making attacks such as “No wonder you’re so insecure!” will only likely draw further ire and personal attacks. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484/75 "2004-06-25T13:53:47Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > **SA** , it just seemed to me that you were still claiming that there had been no link. In fact, you said: This implied to me that you were still claiming that there was no link there. If this is not the case, then no sweat, brother. No sweat here, either. Thank you. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pastiche-of-a-presidency-imitating-a-life-in-957-boring-pages/251484.md?page=3)