No One Left to Lie To: The Triangulations of William Jefferson Clinton

Overview

Christopher Hitchens delivers an uncompromising critique of Bill Clinton's presidency that blends moral outrage, political analysis, and prose sharpened into polemic. The book portrays Clinton not simply as a flawed leader but as a practiced practitioner of "triangulation, " a political method that sacrifices principle for expedient public positioning. Hitchens argues that Clinton's charm and rhetorical agility masked a pattern of deception and policy compromises that had lasting consequences for American politics.

Central Argument

At the heart of the book is the claim that Clinton systematically neutralized genuine opposition by co-opting its language and policies while presenting himself as authentically moderate or progressive. Hitchens contends that this strategy left voters with fewer meaningful choices and weakened democratic accountability. The author frames Clinton's personal duplicity, his readiness to mislead about private behavior and public actions, as inseparable from his political tactics, making the president's charisma a tool for sustained dissimulation.

Policy Critique

Hitchens examines a range of domestic and foreign policies to illustrate what he sees as betrayal rather than pragmatism. Domestic examples include the 1996 welfare reform, the 1994 crime bill, and the failure to deliver comprehensive health-care reform, all of which are presented as retreats from promises or concessions to corporate and conservative interests. On trade and economics, Clinton's embrace of NAFTA and market-friendly deregulation are criticized for undermining working-class interests and signaling a Democratic alignment with neoliberal orthodoxy. Foreign policy receives similar scrutiny: interventions and non-interventions alike are portrayed as inconsistent, often guided by image management rather than coherent moral or strategic principles.

Scandal and Personal Conduct

Hitchens situates the various scandals that dogged Clinton, Whitewater, campaign finance controversies, and the sexual scandals culminating in the Monica Lewinsky affair, not as isolated moral lapses but as part of a larger pattern of deceit that eroded public trust. He argues that the president's personal behavior was emblematic of an administration comfortable with secrecy and manipulation, where truth was subordinate to calculation. The book treats the sexual scandals not merely as salacious episodes but as politically revealing moments that exposed the disjunction between public rhetoric and private practice.

Style and Rhetoric

The prose is polemical, barbed, and insistently moral. Hitchens blends investigative detail with rhetorical flourishes, aiming to unsettle readers who might be seduced by Clinton's likability. He draws on speeches, policy records, and public statements to build a case that is both documentary and moralistic. The tone shifts between forensic criticism and moral indictment, with an underlying insistence that charisma should not be allowed to obscure character or consequences.

Legacy and Implications

Hitchens warns that the real damage from Clinton's approach extends beyond any single administration. The normalization of triangulation, the blending of corporate-friendly policies with populist rhetoric, and the tolerance of personal mendacity create a political culture in which accountability is weakened and principled alternatives are marginalized. The book closes on a skeptical note about the future of democratic deliberation when style continually outpaces substance and where deception is an accepted instrument of governance.