On the exact hour of the 20th anniversary of then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton’s 1991 presidential campaign announcement, several key participants in the campaign launch reminisced about the experience at a panel discussion hosted by the Clinton School and the Old State House Museum.
Clinton School Dean Skip Rutherford, who helped organize the announcement 20 years ago, moderated the panel, which included campaign consultant Bev Lindsey, former White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty and former Arkansas State Treasurer Jimmy Lou Fisher.
Lindsey recalled her role as coordinator of the announcement event, McLarty remembered helping the future president draft his announcement speech and Fisher reenacted part of the introduction she gave of the governor at the Old State House on October 3, 1991.
The Arkansas News Bureau ran a story on the event. Here’s an excerpt:
LITTLE ROCK — Jimmie Lou Fisher didn’t find out she was going to introduce Bill Clinton to a large crowd and national media until late the night before.
And Clinton, then Arkansas governor, had been up until 2:30 a.m. rewriting his speech announcing his candidacy for president, awoke at 6:30 a.m. saying he wanted the speech rewritten — again.
Some close friends and allies who were backstage on Oct. 3, 1991, as Clinton stood in front of the Old State House with his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea and announced his presidential campaign recalled the occasion Monday on its 20th anniversary.
Fisher, who was state treasurer at the time, Mack McLarty, a childhood friend of Clinton’s who later became White House chief of staff, and Bev Lindsey, a consultant who coordinated the day’s events, spent more than an hour recalling that day and memorable events from Clinton’s two terms as president as 250 people listened.
“Chaos,” Lindsey said, describing all the planning and preparation for Clinton’s presidential announcement.
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