Hillary’s Hidden Hand

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The First Lady kept a close eye on shifts in public opinion. In 1996 she pressed her husband to veto two Republican welfare reform bills for being too punitive. She then helped persuade him to sign a slightly modified third version when she recognized that the public overwhelmingly favored welfare reform in an election year. "It was pure politics over substance," recalled Donna Shalala, Clinton's secretary of Health and Human Services. "Hillary was not torn. She saw the political reality without the human dimension. If Hillary had opposed the bill, we would have gotten another veto."

There is no doubt that Hillary's proximity to the Oval Office has given her a familiarity with the presidency that is unsurpassed by any of her rivals. She knows the mechanics of the White House and the demands of the job. She also has plenty of firsthand experience managing political crises. Would that make her a better president? The answer to that may turn on larger concerns—whether her vision suits the times, whether she can handle the pressure when the buck truly stops with her and whether she has learned to learn from her mistakes.

Smith is the author of "For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years," published in 2007 by Random House.

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"There is no doubt that Hillary's proximity to the Oval Office has given her a familiarity with the presidency that is unsurpassed by any of her rivals. She knows the mechanics of the White House and the demands of the job."
In fact, there is no doubt that Hillary's experience has taught her how to hector a president, the one at whose desk the buck actually stops, while maintaining her position in the shadows, the place where she leaves "no fingerprints". It is highly likely that this is the worst possible "training" for the genuine responsibilities of the presidency. It is one thing to be Rasputin, it is another to be Tsar. Who is Hillary going to call on the phone and swear at when she's the one who has to make the tough, final decisions? Worse, keeping in mind that she'd have probably vetoed the final welfare reform bill just as much as the first two versions, no matter how much the country was ready for it, this lady presents a very scary prospect. I admit, I would not have voted for Hillary, anyway, I'm not trying to fool anybody. But you know how, after an election, even if your favorite lost, you say to yourself, "Oh, well, that's that. Good luck to the winner and I guess things will work out more or less"? I was prepared to feel that way even if Hillary won the presidency. After reading this article, however, I am inclined to think I'll have nothing but a deep, quiet sense of foreboding and dread if she gets into the White House.
All the same, and paradoxically, I'd kind of like to see her get the Dem nomination. Because I believe she'll lose in November.
Ken Sears
Dallas, TX

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Posted By: kmk123 @ 01/09/2008 2:27:41 AM

i feel like i was readying the national enquirer...most statements likely taken out of context and with no real validity... pure speculation! Shame on newsweek for printing this.. have some class..
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Posted By: eddiewhere @ 01/04/2008 1:48:47 AM

OBAMA FOR president
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Posted By: ken sears @ 12/31/2007 10:12:17 AM

"There is no doubt that Hillary's proximity to the Oval Office has given her a familiarity with the presidency that is unsurpassed by any of her rivals. She knows the mechanics of the White House and the demands of the job."
In fact, there is no doubt that Hillary's experience has taught her how to hector a president, the one at whose desk the buck actually stops, while maintaining her position in the shadows, the place where she leaves "no fingerprints". It is highly likely that this is the worst possible "training" for the genuine responsibilities of the presidency. It is one thing to be Rasputin, it is another to be Tsar. Who is Hillary going to call on the phone and swear at when she's the one who has to make the tough, final decisions? Worse, keeping in mind that she'd have probably vetoed the final welfare reform bill just as much as the first two versions, no matter how much the country was ready for it, this lady presents a very scary prospect. I admit, I would not have voted for Hillary, anyway, I'm not trying to fool anybody. But you know how, after an election, even if your favorite lost, you say to yourself, "Oh, well, that's that. Good luck to the winner and I guess things will work out more or less"? I was prepared to feel that way even if Hillary won the presidency. After reading this article, however, I am inclined to think I'll have nothing but a deep, quiet sense of foreboding and dread if she gets into the White House.
All the same, and paradoxically, I'd kind of like to see her get the Dem nomination. Because I believe she'll lose in November.
Ken Sears
Dallas, TX