On Interviewing Juanita Broaddrick

More than a tincture of emotional detachment deflated from my body as I coldly messaged Ms. Broaddrick asking for an interview on my humble podcast. After all, here is a crucially important figure of history and here am I, your humble "odd"-in-one-hand-"ball"-in-the-other author.

I did not expect much in terms of response.

And yet, within 24 hours, here she was directly emailing me back agreeing to an interview. An Oscar-winning convulsion of delight, surprise, and intrigue very immediately seized me.

After all, to have the honor to interview the woman whose courageous story of survival after having been raped by then-Attorney General Bill Clinton isn't an experience that occurs everyday!

She provided me with her cell phone number and we had made plans to have a short phone call the day before our interview to address any questions (the first and only time I have done this, incidentally).

I nervously called her and she immediately answered and made me feel as if I had known her for years. Her voice, sweet and welcoming, almost, dare I say, maternal, immediately eased whatever misplaced anxiety was running through my veins.

After I asked her if she had any questions for me, she deftly answered, "no, I just like the spontaneity of it all". Considering I founded my platform, entitled "Unfiltered" on this very precept, I felt slightly silly for having asked for a pre-interview in the first place.

I made a somewhat off-the-cuff comment that I hope to not ask any fatuous or clumsily phrased questions, to which she responded that that happened to her once.

She told me a story of her at a speaking engagement where she took audience Q & A and a rather verbose elderly man (accompanied by, presumably, his daughter) asks the following question, "if Bill Clinton hadn't raped you, do you think you would have fallen in love with him?". A story she recalls, you will notice, in our official interview. Juanita then said that the man's daughter immediately wrestled the microphone from him and hit him on the shoulder for the less-than-delicate question. We shared a laugh, though I must say, my laugh was marked with a slight tinge of shock at the story.

I thanked her again for taking the time for me and that I looked forward to tomorrow and she said the same and we then disconnected.

I called her the next evening for our "Unfiltered" interview and you can find that interview here: http://theunfilteredpodcast.blogspot.com/2019/04/broaddrick-is-retired-registered-nurse.html

She took me through the horrible episode regarding Mr. Clinton that day in Arkansas. I knew something of it, no question, but to hear it directly from her brought the story out from the realm of the intellectual abstract where the benefit of detachment lurks and sculpted it into an emotional manacle that weighed with me and weighs with me still. We then discuss her relevant book "You'd Better Put Some Ice On That", which I had previously referenced in my own essay on the Brett Kavagnaugh circus ( http://theunfilteredpodcast.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-strange-case-of-brett-kavanaugh.html).

We then discuss her experience with and contention of the #MeToo movement. I have my own thoughts on this movement which seem to , more or less, align with what she told me. You will just have to listen to the interview to find out.

For me, however, I must admit my own selfish highlight had to be our discussion regarding the "Hitch", the late great Christopher Hitchens. Mr. Hitchens wrote a scathing polemic on Clinton called "No One Left To Lie To", and released an edition where he included a chapter called "Is there a rapist in the White House?" which singles out, among others, Juanita Broaddrick. A blinding light of pure bliss and exhilaration surrounded me when Juanita said "he would love this" in talking about our interview. That comment echoed through my being and echoes still through the hallowed halls of my only somewhat knotted mind.

After under an hour of discussing these and other topics, I thanked her once again for allowing me the pleasure of interviewing her and she happily thanked me in kind.

A few days later, I was pleasantly surprised by a text from her where she sent an autograph given to her by none other than Mr. Hitchens on his book on Mr. Clinton which, you can imagine, I was ecstatic to receive!

Later on, I asked her if I could buy a copy of her book and get her to autograph it. She said her pleasure but insisted I get it for free.  I happily (and unsurprisingly) agreed!

I received it several days later and have since read it several times. She kindly inscribed the words: "To Josh - Thanks for a great interview and your support! - Juanita Broaddrick".

Wow.

This was an incredible experience that will stay with me for as long as I breathe and write.

Thank you once again Ms. Broaddrick for your time, your kindness, and your words.