THE 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM HILLARY’S NEW YORK MAGAZINE INTERVIEW

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat down with New York magazine for her first extended interview since leaving the State Department at the end of last year.

* Hillary on 2016, part 1: “I’m both pragmatic and realistic. I think I have a pretty good idea of the political and governmental challenges that are facing our leaders, and I’ll do whatever I can from whatever position I find myself in to advocate for the values and the policies I think are right for the country. I will just continue to weigh what the factors are that would influence me making a decision one way or the other.”

* Hillary on 2016, part 2: “I’m not in any hurry. I think it’s a serious decision, not to be made lightly, but it’s also not one that has to be made soon. This election is more than three years away, and I just don’t think it’s good for the country. It’s like when you meet somebody at a party and they look over your shoulder to see who else is there, and you want to talk to them about something that’s really important; in fact, maybe you came to the party to talk to that particular person, and they just want to know what’s next. I feel like that’s our political process right now. I just don’t think it is good.”

* Chelsea Clinton as the new gatekeeper to her parents: “Chelsea’s arrival was a clear if unspoken critique of Doug Band, who’d long been Bill Clinton’s gatekeeper in his post-presidential life,” writes Hagan. “In Chelsea’s view, the foundation started by Band had become sprawling and inefficient, threatened by unchecked spending and conflicts of interest, an extension of her father’s woolly style.”

* Unlike the 2008 campaign, Bill Clinton wasn’t a major factor at State: “Not a presence,” says a close State aide. “And I don’t mean that just literally. But not someone who was built into the system in any way. He had a very minimal presence in her time at the State Department.”

* Hillary on Bill and their “ordinary” life together: ”We get to be at home together a lot more now than we used to in the last few years. We have a great time; we laugh at our dogs; we watch stupid movies; we take long walks; we go for a swim. You know just ordinary, everyday pleasures.”

Source:washingtonpost.com