Celebrity biographies
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13.10.16 10:24
The former first lady of the United States may well become the full-fledged mistress of the White House as president. There is less than a month left before the elections, so we will soon know whether there will be a sensation or not. Hillary Clinton's biography has already included one election race - then she voluntarily conceded to Barack Obama, now Mrs. Clinton is much more determined.
Biography of Hillary Clinton
Activist at school, college, university
Hillary Diane Rodham (future Clinton) was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago. She was the eldest child in the family of merchant Hugh Elworth Rodham (he sold fabric) and his wife Dorothy Emma, who nursed the children and kept house. Hillary's parents, Tony and Hugh, were Baptists and raised their children strictly. Immediately after the birth of their youngest son, the Rodhams moved to the suburbs so that the kids could grow up in nature.
Already in her school years, Hillary established herself as a leader and activist; she was the president of several student clubs and was an excellent student. When school was over in 1965, a difficult choice awaited the gifted graduate - as a gifted student, she could go to study at any of 1.6 thousand universities. Miss Rodham became a student at Wellesley Women's College and studied political science. The education of the perfectionist Hillary did not end there: she entered Yale and, after studying there for 4 years, became a Doctor of Law in 1973.
First Lady of the State
A fateful meeting with Bill Clinton took place at Yale University, but we will talk about Hillary Clinton’s personal life separately. Let us only note that their wedding took place in 1975. The newlyweds began to build a family home in Arkansas: Hillary worked briefly as a university teacher, and then got a job at the Rose Law Firm.
In 1978, Bill was elected governor of Arkansas, and his wife joined the Legal Services Corporation. Clinton served as governor for 12 years, and his wife supported him in every possible way. She served on the board of directors of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and was active in the community, advocating for the rights of minors and helping to promote various health and education programs.
Energetic hostess of the White House
In 1992, Hillary became the mistress of the White House and the first lady of the United States. Attractive appearance, intelligence and education, the ability to choose the right words, and wit made Mrs. Clinton one of the most influential first ladies in the entire history of the country.
She remained active in social life. True, the couple’s attempt to implement health care reform failed. Clinton thought he could get health insurance for every American, and his wife was appointed head of the reform task force, but nothing came of the idea.
Senator and presidential candidate
In 2000, a new turn emerged in the biography of Hillary Clinton - she herself became a politician - a senator from the state of New York. When Clinton was re-elected to this post in 2006, she decided to take the next step.
In the presidential race that began in 2007, Mrs. Clinton was considered one of the most influential candidates from the Democratic Party. Now the husband supported his wife. In addition, a lot of money was invested in Hillary’s campaign (by the beginning of 2008, more than $5.3 million had been spent). She held first place in public polls for a long time, won a number of states in the primaries, but in early June 2008 she abandoned the fight in favor of Obama.
As Secretary of State
Barack Obama appreciated Hillary Clinton's move and invited her to become Secretary of State. She agreed, and on January 21, 2009, she ceased to be a senator, taking the oath of office as Secretary of State - the Senate almost unanimously voted for her candidacy.
Hillary Clinton acted decisively and immediately appointed new special envoys. Thus, her former colleague Senator George Mitchell became a special envoy to resolve the conflict in the Middle East, and Richard Holbrooke was appointed ambassador to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Before this, Clinton spoke out for “Desert Storm”; now she strongly supported the “Arab Spring” and advocated the bombing of the army of the overthrown Gaddafi. Hillary wrote a memoir about her time as Secretary of State. In February 2013, Jim Carrey became US Secretary of State.
Who will win?
In the early fall of 2016, Hillary Clinton (representative of the US Democratic Party) and her rival, member of the Republican Party Donald Trump, entered the home stretch of the presidential race. We can watch their debates and make predictions, but which of them will win will only become known in November.
Personal life of Hillary Clinton
More than forty years together
In 2015, the Clintons celebrated their 40th anniversary of family life, and they met back in 1971, when they studied at Yale University. They say that Hillary and Bill first met in the library, started talking and immediately liked each other. They dated for almost four years before taking their wedding vows at the altar.
In 1980, Hillary gave birth to her only child, daughter Chelsea.
When everything was hanging by a thread
The whole world was discussing the sex scandal that broke out in the White House in 1998. Then Hillary Clinton's personal life and her family were subjected to the most severe test. Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern, told her friend that she had seduced President Clinton and had sex with him.
The story received wide publicity. Hillary sided with Bill, justified him in every possible way and called Miss Lewinsky’s arguments a provocation aimed at undermining the president’s reputation. Even when the traitor confessed and was ready to be impeached, Hillary did not leave him. It is unknown what passions were raging in the presidential kitchen and bedroom, but in public Mrs. Clinton behaved very reservedly.
Twice Grandma
At the end of July 2010, Chelsea Clinton married Mark Mezvinsky, the wedding was magnificent and beautiful.
In September 2014, an exciting event occurred in Hillary Clinton's personal life - she became the grandmother of baby Charlotte. In June 2016, Chelsea's second child, son Aidan, was born.
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947, Chicago) is an American politician, US Senator from New York (2001-2009). Member of the US Democratic Party. First Lady of the United States in 1993-2001 during the time of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton.
Hillary Rodham Clinton was born Hillary Diane Rodham on October 26, 1947 in Chicago. In 1965 she graduated from high school in Park Ridge, Illinois. At Wellesley College, in parallel with her studies, she was actively involved in social activities. In 1969, she received her bachelor's degree and entered Yale Law School.
At the university she met her future husband, Bill Clinton. In 1972, she took part in the election campaign of Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern. In 1973 she received her Doctor of Law degree.
She worked for the Children's Defense Fund and on the staff of the House Judiciary Committee. Then she moved to Arkansas, where Bill Clinton began his political career. They got married in 1975. Since 1975, Hillary has taught at the University of Arkansas School of Law and since 1976 has worked at the Rose Law Firm.
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed Hillary to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. That same year, Bill Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas. In 1980, the Clintons had a daughter, Chelsea.
As first lady of the state for twelve years (1979-1981 and 1983-1993), Clinton was actively involved in public affairs, particularly in the areas of education, health care and children's rights.
Having become the first lady of the United States after Clinton's victory in the 1992 presidential election, Hillary, at the request of her husband, headed the task force on health care reform in 1993.
The reform plans and Clinton's appointment itself were subject to significant criticism from Republicans and representatives of the medical industry, and a year later Hillary was forced to resign from her position. Subsequently, her focus remained on the problems of women and children, including in developing countries.
In 1994, the first lady became one of the main defendants in the trial of the Whitewater company, which, with the participation of the Clintons, conducted real estate transactions in Arkansas in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1998, a major scandal broke out around Bill Clinton's relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, which almost ended in the president's impeachment.
Hillary supported her husband and did not want to leave him - as critics believe, pursuing her own political goals.
In 2000, Clinton ran as a Democratic candidate for the Senate from New York State. Initially, she was supposed to be opposed by New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. When he dropped out of the race due to illness, Clinton defeated Republican Rick Lazio in the November 7, 2000 election.
As observers noted, Clinton's political agenda was disapproved of by both Republicans and some Democrats (particularly because of her support for President George W. Bush and his administration's plans to use military force against Iraq). However, Hillary Clinton was considered one of the most promising candidates to participate in the 2008 presidential election as a Democratic candidate.
On November 7, 2006, Clinton was re-elected to the Senate, defeating Republican John Spencer. Observers regarded the success of the former first lady as a new milestone on the path to the presidential elections. Clinton officially announced her intention to participate in the presidential race on January 20, 2007.
Her main rival in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination was Senator Barack Obama.
According to many, Hillary Clinton was the most influential mistress of the White House in the history of the United States. She is an ambitious woman, well aware of her competence and her importance. Hillary's friends emphasize her ambition and her energetic sense of purpose: "She knows what she wants and how to get it."
She is considered more intelligent, calm and careful in her choice of words compared to her husband. Those who know her better appreciate her wit and sense of humor. She can amazingly imitate other people. Hillary Clinton is also financially independent.
In 1990, her annual income was $190,000, in 1993 - already $250,000, her husband's gubernatorial income was $35,000 a year. As the president's wife, she served as a member of the board of directors of Wal-Mart from 1986-1992. She manages the money in the family. She has shares in a number of Wal-Mart stores, the Liz Cliborn confectionery company and other enterprises.
In 2000, Clinton was elected senator in New York State. Having confidently won re-election to the Senate in November 2006, Hillary Clinton has long been considered one of the favorites of the 2008 presidential campaign.
After Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he proposed that Hillary Clinton take over as US Secretary of State. On November 21, Hillary Clinton agreed to take this post, which Barack Obama officially announced on December 1.
On December 10, Congress passed a special law to reduce the salary of the Secretary of State so that (in accordance with the so-called Senator Saxby rule) a sitting senator could become Secretary of State. The law was signed by George W. Bush on December 19. At the same time, Senator Hillary Clinton was deprived of all salary increases effective January 1, 2007.
Hearings on Hillary Clinton's nomination for Secretary of State began in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 13, 2009. Two days later, the committee approved her candidacy (by a majority of 16 to 1).
Following Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, the Senate delayed action on Hillary Clinton's nomination. The decision was made by the full Senate on January 21 and approved by a majority of 94 votes to 2. On the same day, Hillary Clinton took the oath of office and resigned as a senator from the state of New York. The new Secretary of State arrived at the State Department on January 22.
On Hillary Clinton's first day in office, January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden visited the State Department, in whose presence the Secretary of State announced the appointment of new special envoys. Former Democratic senator George Mitchell has been appointed special envoy for Middle East peace, and Richard Holbrooke, a former US ambassador to the UN in the Bill Clinton administration, has been appointed ambassador to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Hillary Rodham (Clinton) is an American politician, US presidential candidate, she was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago. On her life's journey she had to overcome many obstacles. Despite the fact that the woman failed to take the post of president, she strives to make the lives of her fellow citizens better and calls for maintaining prudence and adequacy. Now she is one of the most influential women in world politics and represents the Democratic Party. Colleagues consider Clinton an ambitious and strong woman who is aware of her competence.
Active childhood
The future First Lady was born into a conservative family of adherents of the Baptist Church. Her father, Hugh Ellsworth, owned a textile supply company in Chicago. Despite his prosperous financial condition, he encouraged his family to save on everything. Sometimes Hugh lost his temper at the sight of open toothpaste and forced the children to go out into the snow to fetch him. Nevertheless, Hillary adored her father and tried in every possible way to earn his respect.
The girl's mother, Dorothy Emma Howell, was a housewife. After Hillary was born, she had two more sons, Tony and Hugh. Dorothy was unable to obtain an education; she devoted her entire life to her husband and raising children. When their youngest son, Hugh, was born, the family moved to suburban Park Ridge.
Rodham dreamed of becoming the first woman in space since childhood. She even wrote to NASA, but they answered her with a categorical refusal. The girl had other hobbies: she was a Girl Scout, ice skating and played baseball. Hillary took an active part in the public life of the city, helping Republican Barry Goldwater in his election campaign.
From the age of twelve, the future politician suffered from myopia. She refused to wear glasses, considering it detrimental to her image. Despite this, Rodham easily managed to rein in the bullies; she was the captain of the school patrol. In 1965, she graduated from high school, after which the graduate entered Wellesley Women's College. It was considered one of the best in the United States; the educational institution was part of the Seven Sisters association.
Difficulties in college
Hillary was popular and respected in school, so she was unfamiliar with prejudice in college. Many students were from wealthy families, they traveled abroad several times and had their own cars. They laughed at the girl because of her poverty and simple appearance. Rodham even wanted to go home, but her father dissuaded her. It was from him that the daughter inherited her persistent and stubborn character, so she had to fight her way through ridicule from her fellow students.
The college had strict rules. Students could communicate with men only on Sundays; during their meetings, the doors were always ajar. Hillary later became president of the student organization and insisted on the abolition of these rules. It is noteworthy that in her youth she supported the views of conservatives. The organization that elected the girl president was called the Wellesley Young Republicans. But already at that time the student often doubted the correctness of her choice. She said her heart belonged to the Democrats, although her mind leaned towards the Republicans.
In 1969, Hillary received a bachelor's degree in political science. To continue her studies, the student had to go to Alaska to earn money. There she spent the summer washing dishes at the Mount McKinley Wildlife Refuge and cleaning salmon. Sometimes the girl had to stand knee-deep in blood, but she was clearly aware of her goals and went towards them.
After that, she entered law school, which was located at Yale University. It was there that the girl met her future husband, Bill Clinton. She received her doctorate in 1973 and spent the next year studying pediatric medicine. After completing the course, she was offered to become a lawyer at the Children's Defense Fund. Teachers noted Hillary's seriousness and ability to polemicize.
Political activity
In 1974, the future presidential candidate became a member of the legal commission. In its composition, Rodham prepared an indictment, the purpose of which was the resignation of Richard Nixon. From 1978 to 1980, she served on the board of the Legal Services Corporation. During this period, the organization's financial fund tripled.
In 1979, Clinton, who was already Hillary's husband at that time, became governor of Arkansas. The woman became the First Lady, she made several educational reforms, and devoted a lot of time to the problem of gender inequality. The public figure joined the board of directors of the American Bar Association and lobbied for the interests of women in this area.
In 1992, Bill won the election, and his wife became head of the health care reform committee. But due to constant nagging from Republicans, she had to leave office after a year. After this, Hillary continued to work on issues of women and children. At the same time, she became the manager of Wall-Mart. The income received helped the woman become financially independent from her husband.
In 2000, Clinton was elected senator of the state of New York. Until 2007, she occupied a leading position among presidential candidates, but at the last moment she abandoned the fight in favor of Barack Obama. In January 2009, Hillary becomes the country's Secretary of State. During the time she spent in this position, she released a memoir, “Difficult Forks,” about her activities.
Colleagues had mixed feelings about Clinton. Many were confused by her clearly expressed political position. The woman was even nicknamed “the hawk” because she advocated the war against terror. In 2013, John Kerry took her place in the department, and Hillary continued to fight for the rights of women and children. Two years later, she announced that she was running for president.
Presidential program
Hillary had a certain authority in her native country, so few doubted her victory. Clinton's main rival was Donald Trump. Their views differed radically, and the debate was filled with pronounced aggression. Despite this, the woman did not get personal; she used only her mind and mastery of words.
Clinton's campaign platform was aimed at representatives of the middle class. The woman wanted to raise the minimum wage and make it easier for immigrants to find work. In addition, she supported representatives of sexual minorities and intended to legalize same-sex marriage.
On November 8, 2016, elections took place in which Hillary lost to Trump. She behaved well, congratulated her opponent and called on her supporters not to interfere with him. Many famous personalities spoke out against the new president; they categorically disagree with his tough conservative position.
Personal life and family
While studying in college, Clinton dated young people, two of whom she even introduced to her parents. But this relationship was short-lived. Later she met Bill Clinton and fell in love with him at first sight. But the charming guy did not reciprocate his new acquaintance’s feelings, and she had to look for ways to his heart.
Hillary collected information about Bill, and then one day simply approached him in the library with an offer to meet him. After that meeting, they practically never parted. The lovers traveled around Connecticut and made plans for their future together. Initially, they were supposed to break up: the girl was offered a job in California, and her boyfriend was going on a business trip to the southern states. But in the end, Bill realized that he did not want to let his beloved go, and he went with her.
It is noteworthy that Hillary did not immediately agree to get married. In 1973, she refused her lover because she wanted to decide on her own plan for her future life. And only three years later she answered with the long-awaited consent.
In 1976, the lovers got married and moved to Arkansas. There, Hillary became a law teacher at the university, and later she was invited to a law office. After some time, Clinton became governor of the state, a post he held for the next 12 years. His wife helped him draw up the election program.
In February 1980, the only daughter of the Clinton family. She was named Chelsea Victoria. Bill was present at the birth, although at that time such a decision was new for men. During the political campaign, the daughter was sent to her grandmother. Subsequently, the woman was repeatedly reproached for allegedly putting her political career above her family.
Also, rumors periodically appeared in the press about Bill’s betrayal, but the US presidential candidate did not want to hear anything about it. But Clinton later confirmed that he had an intimate relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
When Hillary found out about her husband's infidelity, she was morally crushed. She no longer wanted to protect the man who betrayed their love. For some time the couple did not speak to each other, but impeachment changed everything. The woman had to take the hand of the unfaithful Bill again to protect him as president. Now they continue to live together, despite all the difficulties they have experienced.
Hilary Diane Clinton, née Rodham, was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Hilary was the eldest daughter of Hugh Rodham, owner of a thriving drapery store, and Dorothy Emma Howell Rodham. The girl had two brothers.
Hilary attended Wellesley College, where she was active in student politics and was elected class president before graduating in 1969. After college, the girl enters Yale Law School, where she meets Bill Clinton. After graduating from school with honors in 1973, Hilary entered the Yale Children's Center, where, for a year, she studied the problems of raising and treating children.
During the summer holidays, the girl works part-time at various jobs. In the spring of 1974, she served on the commission of investigators in the case of impeachment of the president. In August of the same year, after the departure of President Richard M. Nixon, she became a teacher at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, where her school friend Bill Clinton taught.
Marriage to Bill Clinton
Hilary Rodham and Bill Clinton were married on October 11, 1975. Their daughter, Chelsea Victoria, was born on February 27, 1980.
In 1976, Hilary takes part in Jimmy Carter's successful presidential campaign.
In 1988 and 1991, The National Law Journal named her one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America.
First lady
During the 1992 presidential race, Hillary acts as an active and loyal supporter of her husband, and, having assumed the presidency, Clinton appoints her head of the Task Force for National Health Care Reform (1993). In September 1994, the program was closed.
At the same time, the Clinton family invested in the Whitewater land project. The bank associated with the project, Morgan Guaranty Savings, failed, costing the federal government $73 million.
In 1998, a sex scandal involving Monica Lewinsky broke out in the White House. Despite the fact that in public Mrs. Clinton strongly supports her husband, according to rumors, she is seriously thinking about divorce.
Presidential race
Realizing that her husband's time in power is limited to two terms, Mrs. Clinton decides to nominate her candidacy for the Senate from New York County. Despite early problems, Clinton defeated the highly popular Republican Rick Lasio in the election, and became the first wife of a US President to run for and hold public office, as well as the first woman elected to the Senate from a New York district.
At the beginning of 2007, Hilary Clinton announced her new plans - to become the first female president in US history. At the 2008 Democratic nomination, Senator Clinton withdrew as it became clear that Barack Obama was winning the majority of the vote.
US Secretary of State
Shortly after winning the presidential election, Barack Obama nominated Hillary Clinton for the post of Secretary of State. She accepts the offer, and on January 21, 2009, she is officially appointed as the 67th US Secretary of State.
In this position, Clinton directs her activities to the fight for women's rights, as well as universal human rights.
September 11, 2012, following a deadly attack on the US consular office in Benghazi, Libya, in which four people were killed, including and Ambassador Christopher Stevens, the State Department led by Hillary Clinton comes under investigation.
Benghazi attack hearing and resignation
January 23, 2013 Clinton testifies in the Benghazi consulate attack. Speaking before members of the House Foreign Relations Committee, she defends her actions, without, however, abdicating responsibility for what happened. The mention of the citizens killed in the attack makes her cry.
Since her first days in office, Clinton has repeatedly repeated that she intends to serve only one term. On February 1, 2013, she officially relinquished her powers.
Quotes
You need to understand that there is no clear formula for exactly how a woman should live her life. Therefore, it is necessary to respect the choice a woman makes for herself and her family. Every woman has the right to take the chance to fulfill the potential God has given her.
People understand what you're fighting for when you start fighting with your own friends.
Faith is like jumping off a cliff when you believe in the possibility of two outcomes: you will either fall on solid ground or learn to fly.
Don't confuse career and life. It's not the same thing at all.
The most important school setting in a child’s life is home.
Too many women, in too many countries around the world, speak the same language - the language of silence.
Take criticism seriously, but don't take it to heart. If there is truth or rationality in the criticism, try to learn something. If not, just put it out of your mind.
Every moment we look back delays us on the path forward.
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In fact, she was more inclined to talk about politics. But when a correspondent from the Politiken newspaper met her in Amsterdam, we were interested in something else: how you manage to force yourself to get out of bed in the morning when the dream of your whole life is broken in the face of the whole world. How can you convince yourself that the little you can achieve now is also worth a lot? Hillary Clinton's book What Happened? (What Happened?) has just been translated into Danish. We sat down with its author to discuss why she lost to Donald Trump, why so many Americans hate her, and what she says is the dilemma every woman with ambition faces. Yes, and she also loves the Danish TV series “Government” (“Borgen”)
The day has finally come. After years of preparation, humiliation and failure. For a decade, she stood at the forefront of the unofficial line of women contenders for the most powerful post in the world. The triumph was delayed eight years after Obama's victory, but the moment is approaching when the way seems to be open. This is the day Americans elect their first female president, the proverbial glass ceiling is broken, and Hillary Clinton secures her place in history.
Hillary Diana Rodham Clinton
Born October 26, 1947 in Chicago. The father is a textile merchant and a staunch conservative. Despite this, the parents believed that their daughter should succeed.
In her youth, Hillary supported the Republicans, but switched to the Democratic camp in 1968 under the influence of presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy, who was against the Vietnam War.
Hillary Clinton has a degree in political science from Wellesley College in Massachusetts and a law degree from Yale University, where she met Bill Clinton in 1971. Four years later they married, after which their daughter Chelsea was born.
While Clinton was pursuing a successful legal career, Bill Clinton served twice as governor of Arkansas (1979-1981 and 1983-1992).
Clinton served as first lady from 1993 to 2001.
From 2001 to 2009 - Senator from the State of New York.
In 2008, she lost to Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.
From 2009 to 2013 - US Secretary of State
It seemed that even this moneybag and reality TV star with extensive media support could not interfere with her triumph. And Hillary herself had no doubts about her victory, having arrived with her husband on the evening of November 8, 2016, at the penthouse of the Peninsula Hotel in New York, so that, in the circle of friends and associates, they could watch how the results from different states gradually added up to an unconditional victory.
“It never occurred to me that we might lose,” Hillary says.
Here she is sitting in front of me in the middle of a large conference room in an Amsterdam hotel at a small square table with a white tablecloth. She arrived on our continent to lecture, and I have only 20 minutes at my disposal. Obviously, we will talk more about politics than about emotions. A candle flame flickers between us. There is a vase of tulips nearby, and around us here and there the shadows of guards and bodyguards can be seen - they are silently watching us.
“By all our data, and by all available information, victory was in our pocket,” she explains.
However, alarming information began to arrive from North Carolina, and Bill Clinton nervously paced around the room, chewing an unlit cigar. Hillary reassured herself that it was not necessary to win all the states, so she decided to take a nap and let the elections take their course.
While she was sleeping, things took an unexpected turn. The world seemed to rush past her. When she woke up, results from Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were still awaited. It seems that nothing has been decided. But Michigan turned red (the color of the Republicans - approx. transl.). And when Pennsylvania went to Trump at 1:35, it was all over.
According to Hillary Clinton, it became difficult for her to breathe, as if all the oxygen had been pumped out of the room.
“I was in real shock. It was very painful".
People gathered around the buffet table - family, friends and old colleagues.
“And they were all as discouraged as I was.”
How to simultaneously say “Sorry, I lost” and “Where the hell have you been?” Hillary Clinton responded with a 478-page book, which she co-wrote with two speechwriters. This book is filled with personal, blood-soaked experiences - from grief and rage to guilt and outright bewilderment.
Recently the book “What Happened?” published in Danish. And the story of Hillary Clinton's defeat from her own lips came out much more raw, angry and straightforward than her previous autobiographies, observing the boundaries of decency. But, in addition, this is a sincere attempt to figure out what really happened, because as she herself writes: “It still seems incredible to me.”
Politiken: They say Americans don't like losers. Why did you decide to write a book anyway?
Hillary Clinton: On the one hand, to make amends to herself. But I also wanted to draw attention to many issues that continue to be relevant. After all, other forces were also involved in our defeat, which I could not influence. We began to guess about them only recently. Now our intelligence says that Russia is constantly interfering in our elections, and we have new elections in November. We did not take into account the larger perspective, and a perfect storm was approaching, orchestrated according to the laws of reality television. We need to keep talking about this, and that's what I'm going to do. If no one else, then I will do it.
Strange moment
Hillary Clinton began her campaign night by discussing her upcoming victory speech with speechwriters. They were deciding how to bring the nation together and how to reach those who voted for the loser. That is, for Donald Trump.
At the end of the evening, she took time to open the thick folders containing the transition plan and the first issues she would tackle as president. Here is an ambitious program of new infrastructure that will create new jobs. Is everything ready. When her victory is officially announced, she will take to the luxurious stage of the glass Javits Center in Manhattan, where the floor is shaped like a map of the United States. That's where she will stand, in the middle of Texas, in a white suit, the first woman to become president of the United States. White color symbolizes the importance of a historical moment. She and Bill even bought a house next door in the suburbs of New York to make it more convenient for guests and staff.
But when she woke up after a short sleep, the world had changed irrevocably.
“Questions rained down one after another,” says Hillary, “What happened? How could we have missed this? What the hell is going on?
The White House said Obama fears the result will be controversial and that a lengthy trial will ensue.
“You know, I had to talk to Trump.” A smile runs across your face. “I still have many questions, but the TV channels have already declared him the winner.”
We sit on opposite sides of the white tablecloth and are silent. According to Hillary, it was the strangest moment of her entire life. Donald Trump spent months calling her “corrupt Hillary.” During a televised debate, he promised to put her behind bars. And at rallies he led the crowd chanting: “Prison her!” And suddenly these antics became decent. And at the same time, Clinton writes, “there was a terribly mundane feeling, like calling your neighbor and telling him you can’t come to his barbecue.”
The servants were sent home for the failed celebration. And while Bill sat and watched Trump's jubilation on television, Hillary went to prepare tomorrow's address. She asked her team to prepare a conciliatory speech. Little by little people dispersed. In the end, she and Bill were left alone. They lay down on the bed and he took her hand.
“I just lay there and stared at the ceiling until it was time to give my speech,” Hillary writes.
Others are to blame
The fact that this world can sometimes be ridiculous and more like someone's fantasy than the well-trained choreography that we consider reality was brought home to me in my modest hotel room in Amsterdam, where I saw a CNN report about how the US President declared a global trade war.
An elderly, slightly overweight gentleman with orange hair and sharp gestures on the flat screen looked more like a nightmare than a character from real politics. He's more of an eccentric Batman villain than a typical political elite.
And as I walk a few hundred meters to the luxurious Krasnapolsky Hotel, where I will spend 20 minutes alone with Hillary Clinton, I have the feeling that something has been changed somewhere. The woman who received more votes than any white man gave her time to me, a journalist for a small newspaper in a small country. This simply does not fit into the boundaries of what we are used to calling reality.
When "What happened?" hit the shelves in the fall, some reviewers found the book intelligently written and quite witty, and that Hillary had a sharp tongue and did not spare anyone, not even herself. Others seemed to be reading a completely different book. “A poorly conceived text that speaks volumes about the reasons for defeat,” said The Guardian, which called the book “a post-mortem examination of a failed campaign.” According to the Guardian, the masses did not follow Hillary because her cold calculations went wrong when she mistakenly decided that American politics still revolved around political agendas. But Trump understood perfectly well that now this is nothing more than a continuation of show business.
According to the New Yorker, Hillary lost because she "could not find the language, the talking points, or even the facial expression to convince enough American proletarians that she was their true hero." not a caricatured rich man.” And as you read, you notice how she tries to present herself in a favorable light in the face of history - because this is how she creates her legacy.
As she herself repeatedly emphasizes, responsibility for the defeat lies with her alone. But at the same time, he does not hesitate to shift some of the blame onto others.
Bernie Sanders for fueling Trump's campaign by accusing her of being a Wall Street creature. To the Russians - for spreading fake news. On Trump for turning the presidential race into a clan war. Former FBI Director James Comie for promising to re-open the case about her work emails eleven days before the election, which, in her opinion, cost her victory.
And, of course, on the media. She said they “brought to victory the most inexperienced, most ignorant, and most incompetent president in the history of our country by making the gaffe I made using my personal email account as Secretary of State a key campaign issue.”
What does Hillary Clinton know that we'd like to know too? In other words, what should you ask her? We see for ourselves what is happening in the White House. And how the Democrats can quickly recover from her defeat is already a task for the new generation.
It’s too late to complain that you didn’t manage to become the head of the world’s greatest superpower, no matter how much you might want to. On the other hand, this defeat stunned the whole world. And we began to notice its consequences only recently. Then maybe it’s about this: how do you feel when you lose so much that the whole world collapses? How do you even manage to get out of bed in the morning and convince yourself that the little you can achieve now is also worth a lot?"Who are you really?"
In a bright conference room, a middle-aged journalist from a Dutch newspaper persistently continues small talk about submarines while I re-read my questions for the umpteenth time. Suddenly there is movement in the corridor, the Dutchman is asked to leave, they nod at me, and a second later she appears on the carpet, a radiant blonde in a golden yellow kimono. She smiles widely and has everything but defeat written all over her face.
“Hello, Nils. Nice to meet you. I kept hoping that I would be able to get to Copenhagen,” she says as we shake hands. “I love your country.”
So we started. She is here and ready to communicate. And although even here, in a corner of the old world, she continues to work on her image, she still seems more sensitive, alive and real than I imagined - as if she were improvising. In just a few sentences, her voice can jump from a joyful chirp when it comes to personal matters to a dark half-whisper when it comes to politics and global issues.
Like many, I imagined Hillary Clinton as a person whose image was choreographed and whose real face could only be guessed at when she appeared on stands around the world, like a sunny blonde, or rather an elderly Teletubby, dressed in primary colors. cheerfully winking and waving his hand at seemingly random people in the crowd.
Apparently, none of this is new to her. She herself admits in her book “What Happened?” that it is strange for her to hear the questions “who are you really?” and “why do you want to become president?” It is implied that there must be something bad behind this - ambition, vanity, cynicism. It seems strange to her that the widespread belief that she and Bill have, in her own words, “some special agreements.” After which she admits that they, too, are ashamed, “but this is what we call marriage,” she writes.
She has come to terms with the fact that millions of people can’t stand her. “I think part of it is that I was the first female presidential candidate. I don't think my followers will have to endure the same thing. “We’ll see,” she answers my question about the reasons for such widespread dislike. “I was the first baby boomer woman and working mother to become First Lady. I think people thought: uh, no, she doesn’t look like just the president’s wife, but rather part of his staff. Hence their anger."
Yet it is Hillary Clinton who most Americans consider a woman worthy of emulation, according to a Gallup poll. “That’s what’s strange. When I do something, people respect me and praise my work. But when I look for a new job, everything changes. This happened when I first was a senator and then became secretary of state. And when I ask people for support, it always evokes conflicting feelings, as in general always happens with women who have achieved power.”
- Why is this happening?
“It seems to me that people think that there is something wrong with women who want to become president.” Like, what normal woman would want this? And others will say: I don’t even know one like that. My wife doesn’t want it, my daughter doesn’t want it. And my subordinates don’t want it either. This means something is wrong here.
Perhaps all this hype, all the intrigue that weaved around her during the election campaign, drove a wedge between her and the voters.
“Various tales were talked about me, we considered them ordinary nonsense, but, as it turned out, later, it was because of them that many put a tick in front of another surname. They said I was seriously ill and on my deathbed,” Clinton laughs. “It’s like I’m the leader of a pedophile ring that keeps children in the basement of a pizzeria.” And other wild things that were immediately picked up by the Russians, Trump and the right-wing media. Some thought: maybe she really is dying, and she’s fooling us.”
Yoga, white wine and anger
The day after the election in New York was cold and rainy. As she drove through the crowd of her supporters, many cried and others raised their fists in solidarity. Hillary Clinton herself felt as if she had committed a betrayal. “In some ways it was,” she writes. And he adds: “I carried my fatigue like armor.” After the speech in which she admitted defeat, she and Bill drove to their old house in the suburbs of New York. Only in the car did she allow herself to smile. “The only thing I wanted was to go home, change into my clothes and never pick up the phone again,” Hillary recalls. Then it was time for yoga sweatpants and a fleece shirt. For the next few weeks. These included relaxing breathing exercises, yoga and copious amounts of white wine. But at times, Clinton admits, she felt like screaming into her pillow.
She watched TV shows that her husband recorded for her. I prayed to God. I was mentally transported on vacation to the “Neapolitan novels” of Elena Ferrante, devouring detective stories and texts by Henri Nouwen in batches about spirituality and the fight against depression. And she cried when actress Kate McKinnon, dressed like Hillary, sat down at the piano and sang the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen on one of the TV shows - “Even though I only did what I could // And I walked through mistakes, trials // But I didn’t lie, I didn’t become a jester in a plague feast.”
She almost manically dusted all the closets and went on long walks with Bill, but still, every time she heard the news, the same question rolled in, unstoppable, like tears - how could this happen?
For several days, she simply couldn’t think about anything else, she admits.
And there was also anger. She found it difficult to contain herself when Trump began hiring the same Wall Street bankers with whom he had recently accused her of colluding. And it was even more difficult when people who didn’t vote came to apologize. “How could you?” Clinton muses in the book. “You neglected your civic duty at the most inopportune moment!”
“It was just terrible! - she exclaims in response to my question about the first weeks after the election. “I warned our country about the danger posed by Trump. “I clearly saw that he represents a serious threat to our democracy and its institutions.” She catches my eye: “I was hoping I was wrong, Nils, you know?”
For Americans it works flawlessly. Hearing their name, any of them seems to fly half a centimeter above the chair, filling with importance and self-confidence.
“I hoped,” she searches for words, “that he, no matter how he behaved before and no matter what he said during the election campaign... would feel the duty and responsibility of his post and would behave... appropriately. But weeks passed and nothing happened.”
I ask if she has anything to blame herself for.
“For various particulars,” she answers quickly. “For not explaining our agenda to people clearly enough.” I suppose this must mean: it failed to change its image as a protege of the system in the eyes of a disillusioned working class. “And,” she adds, “for not handling Trump during the televised debate.”
— Is that when he came straight at you?
- Yes. He simply followed me around the stage. I immediately figured out what he was trying to achieve and decided to simply ignore him. Now I'm not sure I did the right thing because he turned the TV debate into a reality show.
“I thought people wanted a president who was modern, someone you could rely on, who would act like an adult and not lose his temper or act like a child. I constantly replay these moments in my head and I think now I would try to do things differently.”
“I had a world-class team, they helped Obama become president twice and were real experts in political technology. We planned a modern campaign, a kind of “Obama 2.0”. And we succeeded. But Trump and his allies changed the script, and the campaign turned into a TV show. In my camp, unfortunately, they were not ready for this.”
“During my meeting with Putin, he reminded me of the type of men who sit on the subway with their legs wide apart, disturbing others. They seem to be declaring: “I will take as much space for myself as I deem necessary” and “I don’t respect you at all and will act as if I’m sitting at home in a dressing gown.” We call it “manspreading”.<…>Putin doesn’t respect women and despises anyone who contradicts him, so I’m a double problem for him.”
Hillary Clinton on Vladimir Putin
“We saw that the Russians were planning something. But they didn’t figure out their plan. We understood a lot only now. And then we couldn’t understand where all this dirt on me was coming from,” she says, citing subsequent reports about an entire cyber army of bloggers and fake social media profiles that put Clinton in a bad light.
I ask which of her actions she would most willingly “react.”
“Well, I would never use personal mail as the head of the State Department,” she laughs and immediately adds, “despite the fact that it is completely legal, that’s what my predecessor and my successor did.”
The Alpha Male Advantage
There was also room in the book for other self-claims. For the fact that, unlike Bernie Sanders, she did not make grandiose promises, simply because their fulfillment could take many years, although voters would certainly be seduced by this. During her campaign, Clinton seriously considered offering Americans a guaranteed minimum income, a small, flat salary for everyone ( similar to the one that was introduced in Finland in 2017 for the sake of experiment - approx. transl.), however, she abandoned this idea after weighing the pros and cons.
Now she thinks she should take a risk.
Clinton writes that her worst fears about her own "flaws" as a presidential candidate have been fully realized.
“Some of them are innate,” she explains in response to my question. “I’m a woman and I can’t change that.” And in our country there are many people who would never dare to support a woman in such a position. This was what all our studies said, but it seemed to me that I could still make it through my experience.”
Barack Obama's mother was very young, and his father returned to Kenya, so the boy was raised by his grandparents. He grew up to become a civil rights activist and law professor. An excellent biography for starting a political career. Bill Clinton's father died before he was born. The family lived for years on a farm with no running water and an outdoor latrine. In addition, Bill had to keep calming his stepfather, who was throwing hands on his mother. And yet he became the first in their family to graduate from university. Hillary Clinton, by her own admission, cannot boast of such a dramatic biography. She grew up in an ordinary white middle class family in the Chicago suburbs and had a happy childhood. Looking back, she only regrets that she didn't emphasize enough that she belonged to a generation of pioneering women who changed the world.
When she ran against Obama, the first black presidential candidate, she did not emphasize her gender. But this time was different, she explains.
“Perhaps I should have conveyed this message differently, more effectively. I don't know. But I’m sure the next woman in my position will face the same dilemma.”
Opinion polls showed that many Republicans and Republicans were against a woman president. Even among the Democrats there was skepticism. There was also “the inevitable barrier of derogatory sexist comments.”
- What was this expressed in?
- Well, for example, they say that women have too shrill voices. Although I have known many men who literally scream their lungs out. In any case, this criticism does not concern them. It is addressed not only to me personally, but to any woman who dares to stick her head out and say, “So, I’m going to become a governor or a president.” There are many sexist misconceptions that many, I'm sure, don't even notice.
When her husband lost the gubernatorial election in Arcasas in 1980, it was in part because she ran under her maiden name, Rodham. When Bill decided to participate in the presidential race 12 years later, she added his last name to hers, but then she got it for pursuing a career as a lawyer. And when she replied that it was okay for her to “go home and bake pies and have tea,” she was considered a smug careerist who looked down on American housewives.
When Hillary Clinton read the “deep analysis” of her televised debates with Trump after the election, she had something to be surprised about. “After the elections, I studied everything that was written about them,” she smiles. “And so I read: maybe she really looked more convincing and caught him more than once, but you still couldn’t take your eyes off Trump.”
She looks into my eyes.
“He behaves like an alpha male. He wants to be considered that way. And moreover, in the depths of our DNA, we also believe that this is how a president should be. I have broken many barriers, but this last one was beyond my strength. But I think I have cleared some room for debate and people will be more attentive next time.”
We sit in silence for a moment. Suddenly she declares:
“But I love the television series “Government” ("Borgen", a Danish series about a female prime minister - approx. transl.), I just love him."
Here she launches into a detailed analysis of the plot, acting and, last but not least, the trials that befell the main character.
“Balancing family and work is just one of the challenges women face,” says Hillary, adding that if work involves power, then the dilemma cannot be avoided.
“On the one hand, no one wants to become a stranger to themselves. On the other hand, you must be able to remain yourself in a situation where others consider you a leader. And it’s not easy.”
Too many opponents
Hillary Clinton pondered for a long time whether she should participate in Trump’s inauguration - she was afraid that she would be booed and greeted with shouts of “jail her!” She agreed when she learned that Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush would be there. Little by little, she began to think about how painful it had been for past losers when they found themselves in the same situation.
AP Photo, Andrew Harnik Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
She calls Trump's inaugural address "a roar from the abyss of white nationalism."
“It’s dark, dangerous and disgusting,” she says. “I kept thinking: wow, we really are facing difficult times - and my fears were justified.”
"Nils!" — one of the shadows, sitting a few tables away from me, tactfully makes it clear that time is coming to an end.
“Two more minutes,” I ask and turn the conversation to the last questions.
“I’ve always been interested in what people do after they’ve been president...
— And you were first in line for so long, and suddenly it all ended, and you never became president. How are you adapting to your new life?
— I spent a lot of time walking in the forest with friends to look into my future. I was really sure that I would become president and do so much for our country. However, it didn't work out for me. But I'm not used to giving up. So I started looking for new ways to contribute.
She looks up.
“This is not one comprehensive job, but many different interesting challenges. I support new political organizations and young candidates challenging Trumpian ways and the Republican order to restore the balance of democratic forces.”
— What is your goal in life now?
- Fortunately, I have a lot of things that I have been doing for many years. This includes health insurance and all kinds of conflicts in our society. And I also help the struggling party to rise.
“I do what I can to protect and defend our democracy,” she says, apparently unaware that with her “defend and protect” she was unwittingly quoting a presidential oath she never had to take. (“... to the fullest extent of my ability I will support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States...” - translator’s note).
- And yet, how do you answer the question “what happened”?
“What happened was that there were too many opponents in front of me. A Trump campaign unlike anything we've seen before. Sexism. Russians who constantly influenced the outcome of elections. Information has been used as a weapon, and we are only now beginning to understand the danger it poses to democracies around the world. “I couldn’t overcome it all, and I’m very, very sorry,” she replies.
And he adds with a half-smile:
“Because I think I would make a good president.”
