In ‘Hillary,’ a Political Warrior Weighed Down by Her Armor

Mar 06, 2020 · 101 comments
Phill Lake (Salem, OR)
The one thing we should all remember is that it was Bernie Sanders' fault that Hilary was denied her rightful place as POTUS
rxfxworld (New Zealand)
Bill and Hillary Clinton are the Tom and Daisy Buchanan of modern American politics. "They make messes and then disappear, into their money or wherever, and leave it to others to clean up."
MotownMom (Michigan)
..."recalls voters telling her that they’d gladly vote for a woman, just not (all together now) “that woman.” ...or "that woman" Senator Elizabeth Warren. That is the tragedy. How did we end up with 2 white males over 75 running against another white male over 75?
Jerry Davenport (New York)
“How did we wind up with 2 white males” You ask! Well, I guess the very progressive democratic caucus and primary voters are male chauvinists and just hate know it all women. Democrats are scared of smart women they just love an old bumbling ex vp better. Sad!
Mark (CA)
The one thing we should always remember is that she didn't lose. She received 3 million more votes than the waste of space that occupies the White House now. If there is any aministration that requires an asterisk, it is this one.
Steven (CA)
@Mark She did lose. Not learning a lesson from what actually occurred is akin to denying scientific facts. The electoral college was designed to give voice to states with smaller electorates. Hillary Clinton did not campaign in several states that she lost. Treat them as flyover states and see where it gets you. Many site Bill Clinton's support of globalization (e.g., NAFTA) as a perceived betrayal of the Democratic party's base constituency. And then. she decided to not campaign in some of those very places that were disproportionately affected in a negative manner.
Marlowe (Ohio)
@Steven Hillary lost because she faced a perfect storm including the most negative and baseless media coverage for a serious presidential candidate than anyone can remember. No more and no less.
Jamakaya (Milwaukee)
I’m so tired of the constant refrain that Hillary Clinton, after four decades of an exhaustively documented public and private life, continues to be a Woman of Mystery. I don’t claim to understand everything about her but she’s hardly an enigma. Continually depicting her as unknowable imputes a furtive, even sinister nature and plays into the old misogynist trope that women are mysterious creatures who you can never really know or trust. Hillary Clinton has never dwelt in some dark, unknowable void. She has been speaking out publicly, absorbing criticism and pressing forward for decades. She ought to be judged on her long record of public service, warts and all, not on some myth about her intrinsic mystery.
Bud (Easton PA)
I voted for Hillary in 2016 and i still believe she would have made a good president. That time has passed and it's now time for Hillary to please enjoy being a private citizen and grandmother.
bill d (phoenix)
it really amazes me that this country elected Obama. hard to come to grips that misogyny could be even more destructively ingrained in american culture than racism. but the facts seem to be the facts.
BabsWC (West Chester, PA)
Two things: 1 - she stayed with Bill after the Lewinsky scandal instead of going out on her own 2 - had a weak Veep candidate in Tim Kaine - nice guy, but surely not VP material
PH (Portland, OR)
I'd just like to acknowledge that "A Political Warrior Weighed Down by her Armor," is an insightful headline about this subject. It's concise and rings true...got me thinking before I even read rest of the review.
Steve C (Hunt Valley MD)
I really don't understand how so many "disinterested bystanders" take to time to make snarky comments about this documentary's subject and don't have anything to say about the documentary, itself. Hillary must be their go to punching bag and take some satisfaction with their nastiness. Find the I Hate Clinton Facebook page and have a blast, but let commenters in this space reflect on the review or the documentary after watching it. I continue to be a fan and supporter of both Clintons, while also knowing their failings, limitations, faults, etc. I find them interesting, intelligent, human and enduring. I certainly don't agree with everything they've done, but I've learned to respect their ability to navigate through their remarkable lives. I am looking forward to watching the 4 hours after hearing snatches on NPR and CNN.
Leigh (LaLa Land)
I'll watch. I've never been able to wrap my head around the years of derision or hatred. And I always felt that, misguided as I might have been, that she should have been smart enough to counter the smears. I'm still regretting that she didn't agree to a Howard Stern interview. I think he might have been the one person who could have broken through. I wish that, now that she has nothing left to lose, she might reconsider.
larochelle2 (New York, NY)
@Leigh she did a Howard Stern interview on December 6, 2019.
Steve (New York)
I think that there's a clear message in that, as far as I'm aware, none of the Democratic presidential candidates sought out the endorsement of either Clinton or if they did, no one said anything about it.
waimak (canterbury)
@Steve You make a very good point that is virtually ignored by all the political pundits. Hillary's 2016 campaign was a disaster of her own making. Choosing a team of sycophantic advisers who spun off criticism of terrible tactics as misogynistic, ignoring the obvious fact that presidential elections are NOT won by popular vote, wasting time time by long hours prepping for the debates when it was obvious Trump wouldn't oblige her by engaging in a high school style debate, ignoring the advice of long time local politicians with on the ground experience, trotting out an obviously tired and lacklustre BIll Clinton. So no wonder no-one wants her endorsement - it would be the kiss of death
David (Pacific Northwest)
Both Hillary and Bill Clinton need to disappear from the pollical and media landscape. There is truly nothing that they can add that is positive at this point, and only prove to be focal points (rightly or wrongly) of the right wing talking heads and congressional table pounding. Time to take this stuff away from the right. They can retire in quiet - but need to be left to the quiet and stay quiet (no blogs or podcasts or media events) at least until after November.
Carol-Ann (Pioneer Valley)
@David Bernie lost by 4 million votes to her in 2016 should he have disappeared from the political and media landscape upon that defeat? Should he have been called out for quickly putting in place a "campaign" apparatus, including a 501 (c)(4), to take on whoever became part of the Democratic primary in 2020 - and immediately switching his party affiliation back to "Independent?" Why should she be held, once again, to a different standard than other former candidates? Do you think if there hadn't been an interest in her, there would have been this film? One sided dictates are so Republican.
Anonymous (New York)
@Carol-Ann Of course, people make horrible, uninteresting films all the time, why would people need to be interested in her anymore for this to be made?
Miriam (NYC)
I wouldn’t watch this even if I had Hulu. She just can’t get over the fact that she lost the election. Even now she blames everybody but herself for the loss. The audacity of saying what she said about Sanders takes the cake. The man campaigned 39 times for her after she got the nomination, far more times than she campaigned for Obama when in 2008. He encouraged his supporters to vote for her. How does she thank him? By saying that no one likes him. I’m sure she wanted to stick it to him right in the midst of the primary season. What a piece of work she is. Despite what she likes to say, it is HER fault that we now have TRump. I wish she would just go away.
Jeanmarie (Alpine, UT)
@Miriam She shouldn't have commented on Sanders, but she's not wrong.
Steven (CA)
And she is not president. Following her defeat, in the year before a Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton decides to give this interview. Even if he had not announced at the time, it was a foregone conclusion that Bernie Sanders would run. These comments were made in poor taste. And, they are ultimately a detriment to the party as a whole just so she could let her opinion be known. That is her right. But, it is also poor judgement, childish even. You can make excuses for her actions - 'two wrongs do not make a right.'
Lisa (NYC)
@Miriam Let's see now who should we blame for HRC winning the election but losing the presidency: 1. Almost 900 voting stations closed in Republican governed states. That must equal a couple of millions extra votes. 2. Russian Influence. 3. FaceBook 4. Electoral College
Bas (New Jersey)
As a person who didn't really like Hillary the reason she lost was because of Comey reopening the investigation and accelerated dnc email leak thru October just look at the polling
Deirdre (New Jersey)
Hillary Clinton is a victim of a relentless right wing propaganda effort to criminalize the best prepared US woman politician in history. She was right about the vast right wing conspiracy - she was right about Medicare for all and we are all losers for allowing Republicans to lie, drain our treasury and dismantle our institutions.
rxfxworld (New Zealand)
@Deirdre She was never for medicare for all. That was not her plan.
Carol-Ann (Pioneer Valley)
@rxfxworld No, she isn't but she was for a plan that would have led to universal healthcare - something similar to the French system. Which works a whole lot better than the failing British system. Here's her plan: Summary of the Health Security Act Hillarycare used a managed competition strategy to achieve its purpose. The government would control the costs of doctor bills and insurance premiums. Health insurance companies would compete to provide the best and lowest cost packages to companies and individuals. This is different from Medicare in which the government contracts directly with doctors, hospitals, and other health providers. Medicare is known as a single-payer system. Hillarycare would implement its objective using three features: universal coverage, regional health alliances, and a national health board. Too bad Bernie and a whole bunch of republicans hadn't voted against it. We wouldn't be in the mess we're in today if it had passed.
Gerry (St. Petersburg Florida)
She really was her own worst enemy. She wanted too much control, too much privacy. The health care debacle as first lady taught her not to say anything about what she would do and not to trust anyone. Accordingly she wasn't willing to state what she would do as President - only what she wouldn't do. She didn't have a clear message. In the end, she was beaten by her need to have a private email server and a stupid red hat with a catchy slogan on it.
Deirdre (New Jersey)
Who would you want running the hospital you are in when you get the corona virus - Hillary or Trump? Exactly
rxfxworld (New Zealand)
@Deirdre Neither. Both have problems telling the truth and truth is necessary to run a medical system. That's why the current government is failing us on Covid-19.
Jerry Davenport (New York)
the public fixation on her.” The only reason is that the media is fixated, most Americans couldn’t care less about Hillary. Washed up politically, desperate to be relevant, losing a sure thing in 2016. She constantly makes sure the media reports about her, yawn. I didn’t even bother to read the story, the first paragraph said enough.
Jeanmarie (Alpine, UT)
@Jerry Davenport She didn't commission the documentary, she merely cooperated with it. The fact that you commented dismissively on a story you didn't bother to read says a lot more about you. Not that you'll see this.
Monica (California)
@Jerry Davenport She beat 45 by nearly 3 million votes.
Rebekah J (Portland OR)
@Jerry Davenport "...yawn". Yet, right off, you jump in to respond venomously about the subject of the article that you said you "didn't even bother" to read. Now who's fixated on Hillary?
Jazzmani (CA)
I am simply fatigued with her lecturing on and on, and now I want her to retire and stop editorializing because it's creating true resentment. Please, Mrs. Clinton, give me some room to hold you up as an elder.
DrJ (Chicago)
Hillary 's two "mistakes" ? She ran for President in a country that still has rampant misogyny, and she married a talented/smart guy with lots of signs of sex addiction. And she was punished for it. Bill did it for his "anxiety "? Get a grip: go get treatment, go for a run, practice meditation, do something good for the world.
JDStebley (Portola CA/Nyiregyhaza)
Excuse me but I found Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, BIll Clinton and W Bush arrogant, offensive, snake-like, false and untrustworthy, each in their own off-putting way. What made Hillary so different? Could it be the wrong chromosome? Could it be she was smarter than most of her detractors? As a politician - a post-modern politician - she was the least offensive by far.
David G (Monroe NY)
I enthusiastically supported Hillary in 2016, as well as in her two successful Senate campaigns. And I would do it again today. Her resume is long and experienced. She was advocating for children long before many of her current detractors were born. I don’t know how she survived the GOP investigative onslaught, but they never found anything to charge her with, despite indefatigable attempts. She appeared somewhat recently on the Howard Stern Show, as unlikely a forum as you’d expect. She was sympathetic, well-spoken, informed, reflective, and more relaxed than I’d ever seen. If the public had seen this very long interview, she’d probably be president today.
Judi (Brooklyn)
Senator Clinton was interviewed in 2006 about Mayor Bloomberg's plan to place private condo towers inside the then- developing Brooklyn Bridge Park. She told a reporter that "It would be a terrible precedent to allow condos inside a public park...it would mark the end of public parks." For the next five days, the twelve community associations that coalesced to fight privatization of this park tried to reach her. (BTW the communities had identified sufficient funds to build and maintain the park without need of private housing inside its borders). We tried to meet with Senator Clinton to inform her on how to pay for the park without housing. Bill deBlasio, then a local city councilman, called her and told her he was for this privatization scheme (of course, the real estate developers were padding his campaign coffers and what better deal than public lands along the world's greatest waterfront?) Clinton refused to hear the "other side", as represented by nearly all local associations. She then did her famous flip flop saying she didn't believe in the public suing the government (something our coalition began in order to prevent this abuse of public park lands). She never even called the president of the coalition back or met with our coalition's national partner, the Sierra Club. This is the Hillary I knew. This is the Hillary who never walked the walk nor listened to legitimate constituents and longstanding community leaders. Just politics, politics, politics.
Susie B (Harlingen, TX)
Hillary lost and Elizabeth dropped out because, like many women, they tried to be all things to all people and that doesn't work. The sight of Hillary drinking boilermakers with the boys in a bar is proof enough of that. Does she really do that? Neither one showed their true selves. And that's why Donnie won. Say what you want about him, at least he's genuine. Bernie could give Donnie a run for his money. Say what you want about him, but he's been himself for decades.
RF (San Francisco)
@Susie B - Being a genuinely horrible person like Trump will never beat being a good person who comes across as ingenuine. If we put you under the same spotlight and expectations as she's been under these past 30 years, the best you could hope for would be to come across as guarded or "ingenuine." If you were intellectually honest, you would admit that women get judged much more harshly than men when it comes to things such as likeability, relatability, and authenticity. Bernie changed his political party only so that he could run for president. How is that genuine? But you don't see uproar and vitriol about that, at least not on the same level as anything Hillary faced. He constantly downplays his more liberal/socialist views in order to appeal to a broader audience (and I think that's smart to do so), but does he get grilled as being ingenuine, shameless, two-faced? No. The guy can barely speak without yelling, yet you don't hear people calling him shrill or too passionate. The list goes on.
Lisa (NYC)
@Susie B Donnie did NOT win and he is anything but genuine.
Steven (CA)
"If you were intellectually honest, you would admit that women get judged much more harshly than men when it comes to things such as likeability, relatability, and authenticity." It would probably be a good thing to drop the first clause from your persuasive prose playbook, if I am 'being intellectually honest.' This phrasing mirrors a problem that a lot of men and women had with Hilary Clinton. While she seemed intelligent and strong, she also seemed equal parts condescending and dismissive. 'Honestly,' she seemed like she would rather be playing political 'reindeer games' than crafting a compelling vision for the future. Completely discounting misogyny as a factor and wholeheartedly relying on it as a reason for her loss do not seem productive uses of time. She did have a path to the presidency and there are plenty of public female figures who are regarded as likable.
Phyliss Kirk (Glen Ellen,Ca)
Biden did not campaign in many states that he won on Super Tuesday.. Hillary had been to the states she "lost", just not toward the end. Biden won. Hillary lost. Sexism and misogyny prevails. Enough said.
Eileen57 (London)
@Phyliss Kirk THANK YOU.
rxfxworld (New Zealand)
@Phyliss Kirk There was some interesting racism fears there too. As Mara Gay of the Times points out. Biden who, has done little or nothing for Blacks, but like James Clyburn is part of the establishment and has been hailed as the White Savior, Interesting when you put it together with Eva Duvernay's deliberate de-emphasis of LBJ in Selma, not wanting to depict blacks needing a white savior. She also erased Rabbi Joseph Heschel from the front row next to MLK. Some things have changed since 1965, but black anti-semitism is still alive and well and may account for Bernie's poor showing in the South. About Biden: Be careful what you wish for. Think the debates. Ugly Trump vs. Cottonmouth Joe. It ain't over til it's over- acc. to Yogi Berra
Dobbys sock (Ca.)
Just another scheme to make money and a plea of "Look at ME~!". "I" didn't lose. "I was cheated". "LOOK AT ME~!"
Jeanmarie (Alpine, UT)
@Dobbys sock She's not the producer of this film and wasn't behind it, she's only the subject of it. By all means, make sure not to watch anything that might cause you to question your assumptions and biases.
Dobbys sock (Ca.)
@Jeanmarie v She will do and say anything to be out in the limelight and to somehow be relevant; especially if it involves money and notoriety. As for not watching...darn straight I won't.
Serg (New York)
I'd like to have been the fly in the wall when the editorial choice of having a man review this documentary was made.
CJ (CT)
I will never understand the disdain some have for Hillary. It is not the majority of Democrats-she did win the popular vote. The media never helped her but I don't know why. Every inch of her life has been investigated and no wrong doing has ever been found, and she is brilliant and competent. I'd vote for her again if I could.
Dobbys sock (Ca.)
@CJ Maybe it's her constant need to interject herself into our elections. Maybe it's her constant need to make money in situations best left without her interjection.
Peter (Texas)
@CJ I will never understand the disdain for Hillary either. But I understand now that before there was Never Trump there was Never Hillary. There seems to be a lot of people now saying Never Either One.
Mary (Raleigh, NC)
@Dobbys sock "Interject herself?" She's a politician... so, not sure where else she should "interject herself." @CJ I agree. I have friends and family (male and female) who have visceral reactions to her -- I've asked and none of them can give me a reasonable explanation. To me she is the ultimate survivor -- she is strong and incredibly capable. She is also incredibly politically savvy. I suspect that these attributes combined with her gender is what puts a lot of people off. Makes no sense to me.
On the Salish Sea (British Columbia, Canada)
Does yet another Hillary-based reminder need to come out in such an important election year? For the Democrats to win and defeat Trump, perhaps the less said and seen both of and by both Clintons would be in America's best interests. This documentary should appear in 2021. Clearly not in a year when people may need encouragement to vote in 2020. Hillary, in any form, is not that get out and vote messenger.
CK (USA)
The Hillary Clinton I see is a person with a strong analytical inclination, reinforced by law school and the practice of law. We all have a range of personality characteristics, but her strong default mode seems thoughtful, introspective. Her intelligence, skills, and knowledge are all admirable. But ultimately, the traits needed as an effective political candidate, especially on a national level, seem in short supply. That, along with numerous other factors, helps explain the outcome of the 2016 election.
Bri (Columbus Ohio)
'Please go away,' was sadly my first thought when I saw the Hillary-documentary on the Hulu's homepage. It's an election year, an important year for this country, and there she is again, Hillary R. Clinton is like the gift that keeps on giving. Perhaps just bad timing? My 'Please go away' is not personal, it's just that I don't need another reminder of 2016 -and sadly that's what she has become for me. I will not watch it, mainly because I don't care about her private life that never has been private, to begin with. Books, interviews, more books, more interviews and now a documentary about the woman who could not become President.
Jeanmarie (Alpine, UT)
@Bri Yes, be sure not to watch anything that might possibly challenge your preconceived ideas. "Please, less knowledge about pivotal events." Hillary is the subject, not the director or producer, of this documentary. I doubt she had any control over the timing, etc.
Voyageur (Mass./France)
This series is particularly apropos in the context of seeing up close the extraordinary effort that any woman has to make in order to achieve what many white men do, with little effort and less talent, as the last of four women presidential candidates drops out of the 2020 race. As Elizabeth Warren mused regarding gender being a factor, if she said 'yes' she would be accused of whining; if she said 'no,' other women would ask 'what planet was she living on?' Hillary's story is a universal, American story of the sacrifices made amid the brutality directed towards a competent and ambitious woman when she dares step into the male arena. She still has the deep admiration and poignant sympathy of millions of Americans, many of whom marched throughout the country in January 2017. Her 'bio' is a good reminder of what it takes to be a heroine. Let us not forget!
Kathy S (Walpole, NH)
I wish she would just keep quiet and leave everyone alone. The timing of this is ridiculously transparent.
Andrea weber (Richmond VA)
@Kathy S So Hilary is now responsible for the timing of a documentary made about her? I think you just made the point of how she was damned if she did, damned if she didn't.
Jeanmarie (Alpine, UT)
@Kathy S How exactly is she bothering you/not leaving you alone? By existing? So, women should just not have opinions or be active in public life, got it.
Hope (SoCal, CA)
Watching a documentary about a story that is still unfolding.... Women are judged by different standards then men. The most glaring example of this, is Hillary Clinton. Hillary, a Seven Sister graduate, an Ivy League law school graduate, was judged not by her intelligent and accomplishments (which started in high school), but by her hair, clothes, husband's sleazy affairs, and the media's never-ending hatred toward her. I can't watch or re-live now; especially after watching the Democratic Party undermine every female candidate running for President in exchange for Old Man Biden.
Nicholas (Orono)
@Hope Yeah, it definitely wasn't the fact that she was a Machiavellian, war hawk politician that so graciously accepted large fees for speaking to bankers. The same person who said that politics was like sausage, and that you needed both a public and private position on issues. But yeah, it's totally the fact that she's a female that she didn't win. Not the fact that she was, still is, and always will be the epitome of the swamp creature.
moodygirl (Canada)
@Nicholas Your first paragraph describes most male politicians. Having these qualities in a female seeking power is what's not acceptable to many. With all her shortcomings and with many of her better qualties, she would have been an improvement on the present occupant of the White House.
Clee (Switzerland)
Wish people stop parroting others saying for sake of saying. Objectively, what did Hillary do so wrong to turn them off? This country has never ever been ready for brilliant women like Hillary. Now Elizabeth Warren, the most qualified candidate out, there is no illusion of fair game of equal gender and hope people at least acknowledge this.
Nicholas (Orono)
@Clee - War hawk - Politics based on whatever has popular support (ex: not supporting gay marriage until most Americans did) - Friend of the corporations Hillary is objectively not a good person, nor was she ever really a good politician.
Harris silver (NYC)
I guess if I become quarantined and have watched everything else and finished my books I may consider.
Amanda (Boston)
@Harris silver This comment made me laugh.
Eileen57 (London)
Ugh, I'm still so heartbroken that misogyny kept this extraordinary, brilliant woman from the Presidency that I won't be able to watch this documentary for a while. Because men are still so insecure that they can't see a woman as President, the White House is occupied now by an acutely pathological tyrant who is destroying America and its remarkable institutions, and the world. Addendum: Dear NYTimes, could you maybe have found someone to review the documentary instead of Poniewozik? His apparent disdain for Hillary reads loudly from line to line. Hillary and her documentary deserve so much better.
Donald Seberger (Libertyville)
With all due respect, I think your conclusion is too simplistic. To be sure, misogyny played a significant role in Hillary’s defeat. Many makes of my age (I was not among them) would not support her and for them it was about gender and, to a lesser degree, perpetuating the current system. However, she has herself to blame for the manner in which she carried herself. Throughout her campaign there was a strong sense of entitlement, that she was the natural choice, that the party elders had anointed her, that no one could possibly oppose her. This was no more apparent than in the last few weeks of the campaign when she failed to visit three swing states —- states that she ultimately lost. She had a great career of public service and she just needs to let go and enjoy her remaining life.
Nicholas (Orono)
@Eileen57 This is what's so sleazy about Clinton. It obviously cannot ever be the fact that she lost was because she was a crooked candidate that obviously didn't represent most Americans, it's totally the sexist males that are at fault. But of course, this notion crumbles when you realize that 45% of women in 2016 voted for someone else other than Clinton.
Eileen57 (London)
@Donald Seberger With respect in reply: Hillary beat Bernie by 4m votes in the primary. She beat Trump by 3m in the popular vote. White men and their white wives are the only ones who kept Hillary from the White House, not Hillary. Hillary carried herself fine. Were it not for white men and Comey, Hillary would be President today. Every campaign makes errors. Hillary ran a brilliant campaign and no campaign is without its fervent detractors.
Andrew (Michigan)
She just can't get over herself. It's incredible. You're a grandma with probably hundreds of millions of dollars. Just stay home, enjoy life. And for the love of God, keep your fingers off the election. Please don't say anymore on the election.
Nima (Los angeles)
@Andrew If Biden (age 77), Bernie (age 78) or Trump (age 73) lose, will you suggest those 'grandpas' stay home next time? She is ambitious and career driven, and still won the popular vote. She should be afforded the same courtesy as male counterparts.
Jeanmarie (Alpine, UT)
@Andrew Yes, please, mansplain to Hillary and us all why she should not accept interview requests. Please tell us more about how a smart, articulate woman with decades of political experience should just keep her mouth shut.
Andrew Edge (Ann Arbor, MI)
There were two or three Americans capable of losing to Trump in 2016...never underestimate the DNC's ability to identify and run these people..
Paul Pavlis (Highlands, NC)
@Andrew Edge And yet every other Republican (15? 16?) lost to him. I hope and expect Trump to lose this year since people know better what they are voting for, but I don't buy the notion that Trump was easily defeatable by almost anyone besides Hillary.
Paul Pavlis (Highlands, NC)
@Andrew Edge And yet every other Republican (15? 16?) lost to him. I hope and expect Trump to lose this year since people know better what they are voting for, but I don't buy the notion that Trump was easily defeatable by almost anyone besides Hillary.
Maureen (Boston)
I hope this touches on the reality of Hillary Derangement Syndrome - people who are obsessed with hating her. A co-worker told me she despises her. I asked her why, specifically. She couldn't name one specific, concrete reason. The decades of demonization and lies have taken their toll.
DaveB (Boston, MA)
@Maureen Ask the same of those obsessed with favorability towards Trump, and you will find the same lack of specificity, the same lack of concrete reason when you ask them why. My view is that as awful a human being he is, he does come across as authentic, even though it's authentically EVIL. That authenticity trumps "finger in the wind" Hillary, at least as far as the electoral college is concerned.
Chad (California)
She learned nothing over the last 4 years so I doubt this is of any value.
Mia (San Francisco)
Democracies are rightfully obsessed with their politicians, the people who embody our ideals of being represented. But let’s stop pretending that in the harsh light of day far too many have been exposed as self absorbed bottomless pits of needy charlatanism. Somewhere along the way the VIP treatment, private planes, juicy speaking fees and digital age persona-ism having overtaken any semblance of original purpose. It’s a bipartisan circus of the absurd and Hillary put herself in the tent, not us.
Jerry B. (Oquossoc, Maine)
How is it all of a sudden that the concept of "likability" has become so weighed down with all this sexism baggage? We like -- and vote for -- people who we like. Women. Men. Black. White. etc. etc. etc. Nothing to difficult about that, is there? President Eisenhower's campaign buttons said it best: I LIKE IKE! I'm afraid no one would ever have put that slogan on a button for Mrs. Clinton ....
KennethWmM (Paris)
Clinton was a completely unpalatable candidate. Elitist, complaining about being “broke” after the WH gravy train extravaganza, and her family debacle brought about by hubris and entitlement, Clinton’s cold mechanical strategy to retake the WH failed, miserably.
Gary (Arizona)
I believe history is going to be very kind to this very capable, hard working woman.
DaveB (Boston, MA)
@Gary when pigs fly.
rtj (Massachusetts)
@Gary Doubt that very much. Wait until she's gone for good and people who know things feel free to spill beans.
Nature (Westeros)
Will never understand the fascination or attention she garners from a segment of people in this country. With so many great women in our society why focus on someone as self serving and greedy as she? Not only did she bash and set out to destroy women who were sexually assaulted by her husband but she has capitalized off the smoke and mirror mirage that she is somehow a feminist. Shame on Hulu for promotion of her.
arp (East Lansing)
I voted for Bill twice. I voted for Hilary in 2016. However, I had full-blown Clinton fatigue by sometime in 2001. I think she bears the ultimate responsibility for Donald Trump being in the White House. Her judgment on matters like the silly email server and secret speeches was abysmal. She let incompetent campaign staffers pursue strategies that lost Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Since losing the election, she has made absurd and harmful statements and written a mediocre book instead of embracing a constructive obscurity. I will not waste one minute in watching a ...four part (!) documentary on this person.
Wordsworth from Wadsworth (Mesa, Arizona)
We have a very big problem in this country with economic inequality and lack of opportunity. Not only did Bill and Hillary Clinton align themselves with Wall Street, but they were out of touch with common folk, particularly Hillary. We live in an age of Deindustrialization. The means of production have changed, and thus society has changed. Somehow Hillary never got that news. Then Trump happened. Mrs. Clinton is both a brilliant woman and a good person. However, she was of the thinking that politics is a law school class, or the practice of law circumscribed by a courtroom. In this era, out-of-the-box thinking is requiring to address the gig economy. Yes, there was a vast right wing conspiracy. For years, Hillary Clinton faced a litany of accusations that did not amount to a hill of beans. Perhaps Mrs. Clinton did have armor from experiencing years of sexism. She also wore blinders that prevented her from heavy campaigning in Milwaukee and Cleveland. But her biggest defeat was the product of her own miscalculations and jejune politics. Her implicit message was, "I went to Yale Law and received A's, and you should listen to me." Well, Ma and Pa Kettle did not react well to that.
Hrao (NY)
This is really strange - she is not running for office nor is she a candidate for anything. Why all this commentary on a "private" citizen? Preoccupation with Hillary and finding holes in her personality may sell magazines and books. I think the public should let her be.
The Buddy (Astoria, NY)
A good excuse to stop wasting money on our rarely used Hulu membership. Always curious to revisit the history of this much maligned figure.
Minneapolis Maven (Minneapolis)
Hillary's polarizing persona is in large part a gift from Fox news. She has endured years* of attacks, most of which were unfounded, the charges whipped up with inuendo. How many millions were spent on Whitewater? The double standard applied to the behavior of Rs and D's is magnified to the 10th power when it comes to Hillary-oh, that's right, she's a woman. She was by far the most qualified candidate we had last time around, and those who cannot stomach a strong, intelligent woman because she is "strident" or "not likeable" deserve what they vote for. Unfortunately, there are too many of them and they are taking everyone else down with them.
David H. (Miami Beach, FL)
I personally like the cold, honest Hillary who went away in August 2008. (An example is Hillary smiling amid boos in a college setting and affirming not supporting gay marriages at that time. It's not Hillary's former belief on that issue, rather it's Hillary's willingness to be the "bad guy" in spite of the feelings of the room.)
Grace (Bronx)
"a Political Warrior Weighed Down by Her Armor" No, Hillary is not a victim because she has had to protect herself. Most of her failure is due to own poor judgement. For instance, she sold he soul to Bill.
Julie Mitchell (Rochester, NY)
I understand your point. But, please remember, this was how a woman was validated for many, many decades-- maybe still. When a woman runs for office, the questions seem to still center around, "but how will you care for your family?" We need a paradigm shift.
Steven (CA)
Understood. Conviction is the willingness to do what you believe is right in the face of what is easy or expected. Additionally, your actions may be deemed correct according to the norms of the time in which they are made but that does not mean they will not come back to hurt you later.
Michael Kennedy (Portland, Oregon)
I doubt I'll watch it simply because it still needs some distance. It may be good, but at this point it's just one more bow to wishful thinking and what-if fantasy. What would be the point of rehashing all this over and over again and again? At this point, it's Monday morning quarterbacking. I'll wait to let the dust settle. The wounds are still too raw, and putting a fresh coat of paint on a broken wheel doesn't fix it.
Eileen57 (London)
@Michael Kennedy Michael, I feel you. The wounds are still too raw. At this stage, I'm still not ready to see Hillary's brilliance and, worse, her horrible ill-treatment writ large upon the screen. Not while the White House is still occupied by an acutely pathological tyrant. Plus, that Warren, Harris and Klobuchar were just deemed not "good enough" for the Presidency is too painful a reminder that misogyny, like racism, is still flourishing and damaging our country and the world.