ABSTRACT
It has become habitual for the public discourse about Clinton to evoke college. Before the election, his status as a Rhodes scholar and his pleasure in ideas made the rhetoric shift between two fantasies of the student: the geek ("policy wonk"), and–George Bush's fantasy–the undercover agent, or the student with illegitimate knowledges and powers. As Clinton grew closer to gaining the presidency, though, and since he has taken office, the public discourse has increasingly placed him in the role of teacher. Indeed, during both the election campaign and the transition period, Clinton himself showed a penchant for pedagogical scenarios, A month before the election, he and Gore appeared on Donahue, and Clinton spent the first part of the show fielding questions about his trip to Moscow, his movements and intentions as a student.
