President Clinton had a romance with big ideas. He cultivated intellectuals intently, seducing them with his characteristic charm and the promise of real influence on the political stage. The Truth of Power captures how Clinton's seductive charisma and the high hopes of the '60s generation came together in an exhilarating and disappointing affair. Drawing on his six years of experience as an informal adviser to the president, Benjamin R. Barber reflects on the relationship between power and ideals, visionary leadership and pragmatic politics. Should ideas have a claim on presidential power, or is leadership by polling actually more in tune with the demands of democracy? What happens to intellectuals seduced by presidential attention? And will the future grant Clinton a substantial legacy?