Raymond Johnson, Post 1

Primary Color’s is told through the eyes of Henry Burton, who plays the role of adviser to Jack Stanton in his presidential campaign. It is evident by the way that he tells the story that Burton has been around politics for a long time. His frequent quips and opinions about events occurring around him provides the reader with an experienced commentary throughout the book. Through Stanton, the reader gets to truly experience all that goes on in a presidential campaign.
In the middle of chapter four, Jack Stanton is placed under fire when he is accused of having an affair. Burton is assigned with the task of controlling the damage the affair might have on Stanton’s campaign. He makes the statement that the campaign had stopped being about the public, and was now more about the media. This is an example of Burton’s knowledge of politics and is a result of years of experience. The reader also gets a glance further into Burton’s past when he tells a story of almost drowning as a child. He claims to feel the same fear in this part of the campaign as he did back when he was in the ocean.
After listening to tapes used as support in the alleged affair, Burton discovers them to be fake. Under the guidance of his assistant, Olivia Harden, Burton pays a visit to a lawyer named Ray Culligan. Because of Burton, the reader experiences the shadier side of politics from a first person view. Olivia forces Culligan to a confession about the alleged affair at gunpoint. It is made apparent that Burton has never experienced such violence before and is alarmed by it. This is yet another example of the way Burton is humanized in his telling of the story. This personal account of Stanton’s is what makes Primary Colors such an interesting book.