WASHINGTON — From first lady in the 1990s to New York senator and secretary of state, Hillary Clinton has been a major public figure for nearly 30 years. And she has the paper trail of both accomplishments and missteps to prove it.
Clinton’s life and career in public service has been one of constant ups and downs, says one of her biographers Amie Parnes, a White House correspondent for The Hill newspaper and the co-author of the 2015 book “HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton.”
“Here’s someone who sort of weathered storm after storm as first lady and then ran for Senate,” Parnes said. “People sort of doubted her chances there; they accused her of riding on her husband’s coattails. She paved her own path in the Senate and worked alongside Republicans, and I think that’s something that is a great tribute to her there. And then she expects to win the Democratic nomination in 2008 — everyone expects she will. And she’s knocked over by this newcomer, Barack Obama. It’s always kind of an up-and-down … with her.”
Parnes’ book focuses on Clinton’s most recent political “rebirth” — as secretary of state under her former political rival President Barack Obama.
What does Clinton’s past say about how she would operate as president?
Parnes said Clinton is known in Washington as a true “policy wonk.” As a senator, she would go through stacks of newspapers with a highlighter, turn the notes over to her staff and expect detailed answers from her staff.
“She would expect them to know it and know it very well and have answers A, B, C, D and E, so she could look into it as well,” Parnes said. “And she would follow up with them.”
Clinton, however, has also been dogged by persistently low poll numbers when voters are asked if they trust her.
At times, her own decisions — such as setting up a private email server while secretary of state, a decision for which she has apologized — have helped fueled this criticism, Parnes said.
“These were self-inflicted wounds and unforced errors,” Parnes said. “And I think that’s something that, if you talk to people close to her, they’ll admit to you that this has been a problem for them, and it’s something that they’ll probably have to face going into the White House and beyond should she win.”
