Bill Clinton in town to talk about his fictional thriller
It was a book-flogging tour unlike any other.
Instead of being interviewed on a local radio show in a quiet studio with just the host, the co-author, formerly the leader of the free world, sat down in front of about 1,000 adoring fans.
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton, who wrote The President is Missing with best-selling author James Patterson, was in Vancouver on Friday to talk about the book. World politics were sprinkled in, along with comments from Patterson and former radio host Hal Wake as moderator.
Patterson sent Clinton an outline and then “we had to put the flesh on the bones,” said Patterson.
“We wanted it to be as accurate as possible,” said Clinton.
Patterson would send him a chapter he’d written with 20 questions (Clinton) would have to answer to make it more real.
And Patterson said the bestselling political thriller in which the president disappears in a plot that involves cyberterrorism, gives more insight into the high office than a memoir because the fictional account doesn’t have to leave details out.
Patterson said the writing of the novel helped him to realize how important the president’s job is.
“You are going to make mistakes,” said Patterson.
“I made quite a few but I tried to fess up to them over time,” said Clinton, not trying for laughs but getting some anyway.
The two, tieless and looking relaxed on stage at the Vancouver Convention Centre, showed an easy rapport with one another, sometimes gently teasing, at other times praising one another as great storytellers.
The plot of the book includes a cybercrime, as a result of which “everything is going to be erased” from all computers.
“The U.S. would go down and it could happen,” said Patterson.
Patterson said the fictional account should open up governments’ eyes to the fact that defence budgets are woefully lacking in measures to defend against cybercrime.
Clinton strayed briefly into a number of geopolitical conflicts, from Myanmar to the absorption of Syrian refugees mostly in Europe, to make a point that governments use a divide-and-conquer strategy for short-term political expediency that isn’t helpful for world peace.
“Us versus them politics is threatening to undo the gains of the last 30 years,” he said.
He mostly avoided current U.S. politics or leadership but said there is no crisis threatening the southern U.S. border because of an influx of illegal immigrants.
“This is not a crisis. This is made up,” he said, adding most of the refugees are fleeing narcotics trafficking violence in Central America.
Clinton said the real crises affecting the U.S. are heroin from the south and fentanyl from China.
Richard Bend, an IT worker who was given a ticket by his employer, said he found the talk “fantastic.”
“I thought he brought a lot of clarity to things,” especially regarding the need to defend against cyberterrorism,” said Bend.
“Presidents can give insights that you can’t get from other people.”
Tickets ranged from $99 to $1,895 for VIP platinum seating at the front of the hall, which included a signed hardcover copy of the novel and a chance to have a photo taken with the authors.
Jacki Amato of Maple Ridge arrived two hours early for the talk and paid $249 for her ticket because, “It’s Bill Clinton.”
Inam Qureshi of Vancouver, who owns a mortgage investment company and sat in one of the most expensive seats, said he was looking forward to the talk.
He said he wasn’t here to judge Clinton’s personal life when asked if he had lost any respect for the president in light of today’s #MeToo movement.