HER.

The Early Years

The White House Years

Someone suggested we put a coconut tree as a logo in my bio. “Absolutely fucking not!” cried Meena, dropping her voice as she realized I was on the phone to former presidents in the next room. She couldn’t help edging toward the door to eavesdrop. She overheard Bill Clinton yelling for Hillary, who was in another part of their house in New York, and then the two of them struggling to create a conference call. Their reaction was effusive. Others were more guarded. To all of them, I said: I’m in it to win. I intend to earn this. I hope I have your support. I welcome your ideas. In my notes of the calls: Barack Obama: Saddle up! Joe did what I hoped he would do. But you have to earn it. Michelle and I are supportive but not going to put a finger on the scale right now. Let Joe have his moment. Think through timing. The Clintons: Bill: Oh my God, I’m so relieved! Send me anywhere. Make this your own campaign. Hillary: We’re thrilled the president endorsed you. We’ll do whatever we can—we’ll jump on a plane, we’ll get on Amtrak. I want to be part of your war council. [...] Bernie Sanders: I supported Joe because he was the strongest voice for the working class. Please focus on the working class, not just on abortion. Gretchen Whitmer: I believe you’ll win, but I need to let the dust settle, talk to my colleagues before I make a public statement. Nancy Pelosi: I’m so sad about Joe. It’s so tragic. My heart is broken. But now it’s you! It’s important there’s a process, we have a great bench. We should have some kind of primary, not an anointment. J. B. Pritzker: As governor of Illinois, I’m the convention host. I can’t commit. Gavin Newsom: Hiking. Will call back. (He never did.)

“I guess it did….but what I really remember about the conversation…I wrote a little essay about the Clintons. It’s a true story that I was in the middle of a sentence and he just stopped me…and he said you are reminding me so much of the woman I love. And I said tell me about her…and he talked for the next thirty minutes about Hillary. And how brilliant she was..the smartest person he had ever known…the most gifted, the most insightful…the most this…the most that…Fabulous at putting together arguments and fabulous at public policy. He just went on and on and on…he was just smitten. And I asked him why, if he was so in love with her he didn’t marry her and bring her back to Arkansas. That’s why I think by that time if he didn’t have a job here, he knew he was coming back to Arkansas. I mean it was clear to me that he was going to build a political base and run, it was obvious. And he said…I would love to do that, but this woman is so good, she could easily have a brilliant political career of her own. She could be a governor, she could be United States Senator…I don’t think he said president, but he did say governor and senator and he said if she comes back here with me, it’s going to be my state and my home base and it really will.”