After Tuesday's presidential debates, it was all Clinton talk at author Sally Bedell Smith’s Q&A Cafe session with Nathans restaurant owner Carol Joynt yesterday. Smith recently published a biography of the Clintons during their eight years in the White House and had plenty to say about the Democratic presidential front-runner, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The author described Clinton as “self-contained” and very cognizant of her political image. Talking about the debate, Smith said Clinton was not one to hide when under fire: “She’s a big girl. She can take care of herself.”
But is Clinton invulnerable?
Not so for Smith, who hinted that the chink in Clinton’s armor lies in her marriage to former president Bill Clinton. “She’s been very selective of what she wants to highlight of that time,” Smith said of Clinton’s tenure as First Lady, noting that the senator has avoided any direct talk of the Lewinsky incident so far.
Discussing Clinton’s attempt to distance her political image from that of her husband, Smith pointed to the couple’s inexorable link (“To really understand how they operate, you have to look at them in tandem”) and half-jokingly suggested that perhaps the best thing the former president could do to help his wife’s chances would be to stay away: “He’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room.”
The author also implied that in terms of the Clinton administration, Americans seem to have a collective amnesia, and she stressed the importance of re-examining those eight years of government through a “clear” rather than “nostalgic” lens.
The Clinton Marriage—Asset or Liability for Hillary?
Biographer discusses the couple’s marriage as a potential pitfall for Hillary Clinton’s presidential aspirations.
After Tuesday's presidential debates, it was all Clinton talk at author Sally Bedell Smith’s Q&A Cafe session with Nathans restaurant owner Carol Joynt yesterday. Smith recently published a biography of the Clintons during their eight years in the White House and had plenty to say about the Democratic presidential front-runner, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The author described Clinton as “self-contained” and very cognizant of her political image. Talking about the debate, Smith said Clinton was not one to hide when under fire: “She’s a big girl. She can take care of herself.”
But is Clinton invulnerable?
Not so for Smith, who hinted that the chink in Clinton’s armor lies in her marriage to former president Bill Clinton. “She’s been very selective of what she wants to highlight of that time,” Smith said of Clinton’s tenure as First Lady, noting that the senator has avoided any direct talk of the Lewinsky incident so far.
Discussing Clinton’s attempt to distance her political image from that of her husband, Smith pointed to the couple’s inexorable link (“To really understand how they operate, you have to look at them in tandem”) and half-jokingly suggested that perhaps the best thing the former president could do to help his wife’s chances would be to stay away: “He’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room.”
The author also implied that in terms of the Clinton administration, Americans seem to have a collective amnesia, and she stressed the importance of re-examining those eight years of government through a “clear” rather than “nostalgic” lens.
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
Meet the 2023 Washingtonians of the Year
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Washingtonian Magazine
April 2024: Great Places to Live
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
You Can Still Get Tickets to See Caitlin Clark Play in DC
The Capital Pride Parade Won’t Go Through Dupont Circle This Year
Why Did WAMU Close DCist?
Botox In Your Twenties? More People Under 30 Are Getting Cosmetic Treatments
Did Eugene Vindman Pose With a Confederate Flag?
Want to See Caitlin Clark Play in DC? Prepare to Shell Out Some $$$.
Hozier and Laufey Will Headline This Year’s All Things Go Festival
Move Over, Pennsylvania Avenue: Study Says Wharf Area Is DC’s Priciest Real Estate