Primary Colors is a fictional story inspired by Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. The film is based on the novel by Joe Klein, who originally published the book anonymously then vigorously denied writing it for months, even staking his journalistic integrity on the statement that he was not the author. John Travolta plays Jack Stanton, a charming but unscrupulous southern governor and Emma Thompson plays his dogged wife Susan. Brit actor Adrian Lester plays Henry Burton, who is tenuously fashioned after George Stephanopoulos and Kathy Bates plays Libby Holden, a political operative based on former Clinton strategist Betsey Wright.
The movie has always been a favorite of mine. It's not a masterpiece or anything but it's a funny, interesting look into the world of politics and all the actors do a great job. Something about it always seemed wrong to me, though. For the most part it's a lighthearted take on campaign madness, but in the last half-hour it takes a sharp tonal shift and gets really dark really fast. I never really understood why the movie goes in that direction other than the fact that they had to tack on a more dramatic ending to an otherwise predictable story. That's because I always assumed that the movie was a motherly slap on the wrist of the 'Stantons' when it is actually an all-out indictment of their eroding ideology.
The scene linked here is fairly early on in the film and it's a perfect example of how someone can rationalize supporting a candidate with flaws as blatant as the Clintons'. By the end of the movie we see how they rationalize it themselves. Spoilers, obviously.
In the movie Libby Holden is a brazen, unpredictable eccentric who once worked as damage control for Jack Stanton when he was governor. Amidst Jack's multiplying scandals, they bring in Libby to help with their presidential run, not unlike what actually transpired between the Clintons and Wright. She comes in guns blazing, hilarity ensues and Holden is a loyal champion for the Stantons until the end of the film, when a crucial decision has to be made. Freddy Picker, a strong opponent enters the primary race at the last minute and threatens Stanton's chances significantly, so Jack and Susan must decide whether or not to blackmail Picker with some dirty information they have on him. It's a move that Libby is staunchly against and in the scene that I have come to realize is the most important in the whole film, she pleads with the power couple to do the right thing. For something so unrelatable to most people, it's a tender and powerful moment.
When they decide to move on the information anyway, Libby reluctantly threatens to expose another scandal that will ruin any chances Jack has of becoming president. In private, she tells Henry that she doesn't want to expose the Stantons, she just wanted to see if they would opt to play dirty, which they did without missing a beat. Later Henry finds her dead in her truck, presumably from suicide. The real Betsey Ross Wright is alive and well, but her death in the story is reminiscent of Vince Foster's apparent suicide in 1994.
I always wrote her suicide off as a cheap dramatic thrill that was shoehorned into the movie to appease audiences but after reconsidering the real-life severity of their impropriety I think it's clear that Libby's death represents the death of the political ideals once held by the actual Clintons, which have been slowly compromised over the course of their careers. Henry struggles with his decision to work for Stanton throughout the movie and he's now burdened with understanding the dark reality of the situation he's in. In the end, he decides to stay on anyway, Stanton wins the presidency and the credits roll.
A lot of people like to speculate on whether or not Hillary Clinton actually believes she is doing the right thing, or even knows or cares what the consequences of her actions are at this point. I always bring up this scene in those discussions. Joe Klein may have invented some details but I think for the most part, he successfully articulated the Clintons' mindset. Long before two terms in the White House, Bill and Hillary decided that playing dirty was the only way to win. They deluded themselves into believing that if they cheated just enough to get into power, they would then be able to focus their attention on the needs of the people. They could "play the game" until the time to embolden the masses finally revealed itself, then they would be forgiven of their sins. But of course once you have cheated and won, cheating will always be an option.
The stark difference between the tone at the beginning of the movie and the end reflects the Clintons' moral trajectory. They may not have started out as crass opportunists taking the system for a ride but it seems they have learned to fill that role, and that's not a happy ending for anybody.