The First Lady

Politics has a universal language of diplomacy. Politicians almost always employ it when evident hostility seems like a potentially dangerous path. In the face of obvious differences, diplomacy and amicability come handy. No one seems to know these rules better than the former US Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton.

Politicians of Hillary’s caliber – or anyone who has been in the public eye for so long – seem to think of writing a book as the safest way to share their side of the story. Hillary, who famously complained of being a victim of a ‘vast right-wing conspiracy’ when talking about the Bill Clinton scandal in 1998 is known for her cautious handling of even the harshest interview questions and her no-nonsense attitude towards media hawks constantly hunting for controversy.

Clinton’s book ‘Hard Choices’ is personal in more than one way. To begin with, it chronicles her journey from losing her presidential candidacy in 2008 to Barack Obama to her four years with him as the Secretary of State. With a woman of Hillary’s exposure and experience ‘personal’ incorporates a vast deal of important deals, meetings and moments that have shaped global politics. The book, she says, ‘is about choices I made as Secretary of State and those made by President Obama and other leaders around the world.’

However, she never gets too ‘personal’, never allowing the inquisitive reader an insight into her personal life past the carefully constructed exterior. Whatever she divulges is what most people already know, such as sharing her experiences about becoming a grandmother soon and her finances after leaving The White House. But for the most part, as expected, the book deals more with her life in the office.

‘Hard Choices’, a rather long read, is a ride that begins with Hillary’s ‘fresh start’ in 2008 after losing to Barack Obama as the presidential nominee but working with him as Secretary of State. It starts with the ‘pivotal’ Asia, moves across the war and pace of the subcontinent, takes the reader to the binding force of hope and history in Europe and Latin America before coming to the upheaval in Middle East’s ‘rocky path of peace’ and ends at home. Only one thing remains constant – as she puts it, ‘It’s never smart to bet against the United States’ or the unmistakable arrogance of an American leader, one might add. ‘When we need to solve a problem anywhere in the world, we could call on dozens of friends and allies,’ Clinton claims proudly.

Hillary Clinton is no Obama, she is not particularly known for her oratory skills or charm. She is no storyteller, although the couple has been making millions giving speeches worldwide. Even the monotonous details of her encounters with some of the most important figures of this century could do with some personal feeling, anecdote or emotion.

About Karzai, she narrates her efforts to try to understand the man ‘still, we needed Karzai, so I worked hard to connect with him.’ Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi comes across as a strong leader whose charisma seems to overwhelm even someone like Hillary but this is something you can only glean from the subtext, Ms. Clinton does not deign to state it upfront. Storytelling, or lack of it, remains the book’s major flaw, but then Hillary is a lawyer not a fiction writer. The book is about politics written by a politician, about the hardcore facts of global political events and ensuing exchanges among nations and leaders. The same goes for most public figures she mentions except Obama and her staff.

[quote]Benazir Bhutto, Hillary tells the reader, 'was the only celebrity I ever stood behind a rope line to see' in London in 1987[/quote]

Benazir Bhutto, Hillary tells the reader while appreciating the late leader’s determination and political smarts, ‘was the only celebrity I ever stood behind a rope line to see’ in London in 1987. It is also in this part of the book that the best and most useful advice comes from a woman who has seen enough to render it: ‘First, if you choose to be in public life…grow skin as thick as a rhinoceros. Second, learn to take criticism seriously not personally…Third, there is a persistent double standard applied to women in politics – regarding clothes, body types, and of course hairstyle – that you can’t let derail you. Smile and keep going.’ The politicians of both genders in our part of the world seem to be proficient at following one of the suggestions. One word. Rhinoceros.

The parts that deal with Pakistan will evoke mixed emotions in a Pakistani reader, most likely bordering on frustration and disappointment. They are especially hard to brush aside coming from a political figure who has dealt with Pakistani leaders in various roles over two decades. From dinners with Prime Minister Benazir to president Farooq Leghari, from president Musharraf to President Zardari the breadth of this woman’s experience is overwhelming as she carefully and inoffensively dissects these people.

[quote]The SEAL's operation on Osma bin Laden remains the highlight of the chapter on Pakistan[/quote]

The SEAL’s operation on Osma bin Laden remains the highlight of the chapter on Pakistan which she defends vehemently in the backdrop of the US aid given to Pakistan and the consequential hostility. ‘Punch away,’ she claims to have responded to possible backlash she might face in Pakistan. From responding to a group of angry Pakistani journalists (a famous interview locally) to ‘no comments’ on drones, Hillary rehashes what the local and foreign press had exhausted at the time. The chapter inevitably focuses on America’s War on Terror, its alliance with Pakistan and the baggage that comes with it, with Clinton coming across as the American politician who did her best in a hostile situation.

The 600-page book should be on your book shelf if you are interested in Hillary Clinton’s reflections on the people she met and things she did while she was in office. Often defensive and unnecessarily elaborative, Hillary seems more concerned with moving forward rather than bringing up the past – usually the imperative for all US policies.

A close friend living in the US once stated confidently that the American people would never elect a black man or a woman as their president. Obama’s election proved her and many others wrong. Hillary Clinton remains a strong contender for 2016 and ‘Hard Choices’ marks the beginning of this election campaign, showing that Hillary Clinton is far from weary.