A version of the following article appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, on September 3, 2017
Hillary Clinton’s new book, What Happened, scheduled for release on September 12, can do more for our country than had she won the presidency. And Donald Trump’s presidency has served an essential purpose. I know this may sound outrageous, but please read on…..
On January 26, 1992, long before a woman, regardless of how brilliant and hard working, could be considered a serious candidate for the New York senate, much less the presidency, Hillary Clinton, a lawyer every bit as committed to public service as her husband, and far more disciplined, sat on a sofa next to Bill Clinton in a Boston hotel suite, the set of CBS’s Sixty Minutes. Here, as millions watched post-Super Bowl, the candidate admitted to “wrong doing,” and “causing pain in his marriage.” Hillary stood by her man -- though vehemently denied this is what she was doing -- and saved his presidential candidacy.
That stance came at great cost -- to Hillary. From that moment on there has been enormous disagreement about who Hillary Clinton is and what motivates her: Is she a passionate, sincere reformer, or a power hungry Lady Macbeth? Is she deeply in love or a cold-blooded, ethically fractured pragmatist? Could anything she says be trusted? Further, the nation was not ready for Bill Clinton’s 1992 assertion of a co-presidency, “buy one and get one free.” (It would be 21 years before this concept was reintroduced in the 2013 Netflix series, House of Cards, and Francis and Claire Underwood came into our lives.)
This public fallout was fueled in part by changing societal perspectives, leading to confusion and conflict about women’s place in public, political, and corporate arenas. But Clinton’s persona has also played a part. Hillary has said she marvels at the charisma of her husband and President Obama, which she lacks. However, what Hillary has not understood is that her deficit is not a lack of charisma. It is a lack of connection, within herself and with others.
Throughout her public life we have seen Hillary Clinton’s brilliant mind. Yet she seems to deny the political necessity of emotional intelligence, or, as some would phrase it, what her heart could tell her, if she could learn to listen. A glaring example, of course, is the angst of frightened, angry, and suffering Americans who felt abandoned by their country, a discontent capitalized on by Donald Trump. (I am not suggesting that Donald Trump possesses emotional intelligence. Like many ruthless people, Trump innately senses fear and amasses power by pitting group against group, in this way manipulating the fear and suffering of others.) Hillary’s inability to connect can leave many with the impression that her primary motivation is to cement the Clinton powerbase and legacy, with no real concern for anyone else.
Another example of Hillary’s lack of connection comes from her 2003 book, Living History. The night before her husband confessed “inappropriate intimacy” with Monica Lewinsky to her, she told attorney and friend Bob Barnett: “My husband may have his faults, but he has never lied to me.” Huh? It was accusation upon accusation about Bill’s infidelities, culminating in Gennifer Flower’s assertion of a 12 year affair, that led to the necessity of the 1992 60 Minute interview.
Because I found the post-Bill chapters of Living History boring and contrived, I did not intend to read Hillary’s new book. Then I read the sizzling excerpts and heard her promise that this will be her most personal book, one where she will discuss oversights and mistakes. So I ordered.
Wouldn’t it be heartening to read that when Hillary was ill with pneumonia during the campaign and went to Chelsea’s home, she could have immediately trusted us with the truth? Or to learn why her campaign would not listen to Bill’s insistence that she was ignoring a population whose support she needed? Or her reaction when her husband cornered Attorney General Loretta Lynch on her plane? Or that we can understand that Hillary is not the smartest person ever in all things, such as technology, and even like her more because of it?
Of course, Hillary is not the only one who has been in denial. So has our country. We now see that we have not healed from the issues that led to the Civil War. During this terrifying chapter in our history, we see how an unprepared, careless president can exploit those issues, stoking the poisonous flames of hatred that can destroy us.
For the first time in Hillary adult life she is not compelled to win votes for either her husband or herself. What she has seen and learned puts her in the unique experience to address the festering problems that threaten us. Like no one else, her truths can forge a path to healing. But Hillary will neither be believed nor trusted if she does not first face and then share herself. What Happened provides this opportunity, for Hillary and for us.