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Will Bill Ruin Wife's Bid for Person of the Year?

Bruce Gottlieb
Posted Monday, Dec. 7, 1998, at 6:24 PM ET

Today's New York Times reports that Hillary Clinton "is under consideration by Time to be its Person of the Year, although that will depend on how the impeachment proceedings of Bill Clinton are resolved. (If he is impeached, she will not be considered; if he is not, she will be.)"

This strikes Explainer as a touch unfair, especially since Lynda Carter wasn't asked to give up the mantle of Wonder Woman just because her husband (Robert Altman) was indicted in some damn Washington scandal that no one cared about (BCCI).

What is Time's logic? Explainer asked Walter Isaacson, Time's managing editor:

Hillary Clinton will be cheered to hear that, according to Isaacson, Time has no explicit policy--the New York Times got the story wrong. While it is true that Time considers Hillary a contender for Personhood, Isaacson insists that impeachment will not necessarily sink her candidacy.

On the other hand, Isaacson admits that breaking news has bearing on the selection process, pointing out that it matters "if the Pope assassinates someone." This, presumably, is the take-home message. If the Pope assassinates someone and the College of Cardinals impeaches him, Time magazine will continue to ignore the Pope's wife.

Next question?

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Bruce Gottlieb is a law student and a former Slate staff writer.
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