Christopher Andersen - American Evita: Hillary Clintons Path to Power

S he is, quite simply, the most famous, most controversial, most complex, most loved-hated-admired-reviled womanperhaps personin America. And, whether she fulfills her lifes ambition or not, she can already lay claim to being the first woman ever considered a serious contender for the presidency.

Yet most of what we know about Hillary Rodham Clinton is strictly seen in the context of her marriage to the forty-second President. Indeed, they were the ultimate power couplehe the drawling, fatally charismatic Bubba with Falstaffian appetites, she the brilliant lawyer and consummate political strategist who put her own dreams of high office on hold to focus on capturing the Oval Office for her husband. When it came to her husbands philandering, Hillary had always been willing not just to look the other way, but to go on the offensiveas she did when news of Bills affair with Gennifer Flowers threatened to derail Clintons 1992 presidential campaign. Im not, she famously told CBSs 60 Minutes at the time, some Tammy Wynette, standin by her man.

Of course, that was precisely what Hillary was, had always been, and would continue to beparticularly if it meant that she could serve, as Bill Clinton himself put it, in the role of co-President. Hillary may have been an ardent feminist and an accomplished career woman, but the fact remained that whatever power she wielded was derived from her husbandthe born political animal who, by sheer force of his formidable personality, could so effortlessly seduce voters. At the same time, it is difficult to imagine that he would ever have made it out of Arkansas were it not for having Hillarythe consummate strategic thinker, cheerleader, string puller (Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain!), and excuse makerguiding him every step of the way. Theirs was a union of brains and sex appeal, explained one longtime ally. Her brains and his sex appeal.

Neither her political acumen nor her impressive grasp of the weightiest issues would figure much in helping Hillary establish a political beachhead of her own. Ironically, it was in the role of the ultimate wronged woman that Hillary would shine. By the time her husbands historic impeachment trial ended with his acquittal in February of 1999, Hillary was riding an unprecedented wave of public sympathy that would later sweep her into the United States Senateand position her for her own presidential try.

The oft-told story goes more or less like this: The Clintons are out for a drive and pull into a gas station. Hillary points to the attendant and says to her husband, I used to date that guy. Bill laughs and says, If youd married him, youd have been stuck here instead of married to the President of the United States.

No, replies Hillary. If Id married him, hed be President.

It is a bit of Clinton apocrypha that nevertheless has the unmistakable ring of truth. Not only did Hillary act as her husbands chief political strategist and policy sounding board, but she also played an invaluable role as lifeguard. Time and again, Hillary blew the whistle around her neck, grabbed a life preserver, and dove headfirst into the wavesrescuing her husband just as he came up for air one last time.

She doesnt know, Clinton adviser Mandy Grunwald said at the height of the Monica Lewinsky affair, whether to kill him or save him. In truth, there was never any real doubt. Even when Hillary seriously considered packing up and leaving her husband, their partnership and her faith in it remained stronger than ever.

Hillarys physical, intellectual, and emotional investment in that partnership was still paying dividends in 2004, as polls showed more members of her party favoring Senator Clinton for President than all the other declared Democratic candidates combined. Even after Massachusetts Senator John Kerry secured the Democratic presidential nomination and began to mount what appeared to be a serious challenge to incumbent George W. Bush, speculation concerning Hillarys plans for a future presidential run of her owneither in 2008 or in 2012continued unabated.

Whenever Hillary makes her announcement, there will be the inevitable comparisons to Argentinas legendary Eva Pernan ambitious, strong-willed woman who engineered her husband Juan Perns rise to the presidency, used her position as Argentinas First Lady to wield enormous political power, and in the process became one of historys most admired, hated, feared, and revered women. Sex, power, money, lies, scandal, tragedy, and betrayal were the things that defined the public lives of both women. Yet more than a half century after Eva Perns death at age thirty-three, millions regard her as nothing less than a saintand have long lobbied the Vatican to officially make her one.

Even Hillary would concede that, in her case, sainthood seems highly unlikely. Whatever the ultimate judgment of history, the ongoing saga of Hillary Clintons inexorable rise to power continues to stir passionsand to fan the flames of controversy that make her the American Evita.

The White House
Friday, January 19, 2001

H illary Clinton was furious. Furious at the U.S. Supreme Court for handing the presidency to George W. Bush. Furious at George W. Bush for pushing his obvious advantage in Florida (where his brother was governor) to wrest control of that states decisive electoral votes, and furious at Al Gore for blaming his defeat on the Clintons own scandal-stained reputation.

In these waning days of their administration, the one person she was not furious atfor a changewas her husband. Throughout their marriage, it had always been Bill who screwed up and Hillary who came to the rescue. She had chosen to overlook his myriad past indiscretions as governor of Arkansas, and during their eight years in the White House stood squarely with Bill in the face of Whitewater and Travelgate and Filegate and Vince Foster and Paula Jones and the mother of all Clinton scandals, Monicagate. Hillary, in fact, went far beyond merely standing by her man. It was the First Lady who confronted each crisis head-on, masterminding legal strategies and mounting counterattacks to debunk charges and discredit those with the audacity to have made them.

Now it was Bills turn, and he did not have to be told what was expected of him. For years, White House staffers had been murmuring about The Plan, the long-standing agreement that, once the Clintons left the White House, they would reverse roles: in return for all the sacrifices Hillary had made over the yearsall the dreams and ambitions put on hold, not to mention the heartache and searing humiliation she had had to endure because of his rampant womanizingBill would throw himself behind his wifes political career. If all went according to The Plan, he would return to the White House as Americas first First Gentleman. Hillary had already taken a step toward making The Plan a reality; just sixteen days earlier, she had been sworn in as the junior United States senator from New Yorkthe only First Lady ever elected to office.