HRC

HRC (Hillary Rodham Clinton) by Jonathan Allen and Aimee Parnes

A crushing defeat at the hands of Senator Barak Obama in the 2008 election could have made Hillary’s political legacy vanish, but this did not take place.  Rather, Hillary is galvanizing efforts for re-election in 2016.  In this new book, HRC, written by Jonathan Allen and Aimee Parnes, we are taken into the poltical machinations surrounding Hillary’s decisions, what led to her demise in 2008, and how she handles her position now.  Filled with stories, gossip, and analysis, this book is biography is sure to irk some and inform others. 

Allen and Parnes begin the introduction by  voicing reason to her failure at the 2008 bid by writing, “The failure of her 2008 presidential campaign could be attributed in part to the way she rewarded longtime allies with jobs that they were ill-equipped to execture,…(5).”  Not only this, but many key supporters early on for HRC changed their endorsements near the opening of Super Tuesday (Claire McCaskill, Ted Kennedy, and John Lewis, 12-13).  Further, the political machinery of Obama was running right through the Capitol at a dizzying speed, even snapping up the likes of Jason Altmire, who had supported Bill in his early career.  The changing of the guard was taking place well before Hilary’s people caught on. 

The chapter on Promise and Peril was my favorite.  The authors take the route of describing Hilary’s travels to the Middle East amongs the Arab Spring, rallying for peace and speaking forcefully.  Right before the fall of the Tunisian state, Hillary gave a speech that was powerful and memorable.  The authors write, “Hillary aides still recall that members of the State Department’s traveling press corps raved about her speech (212).”  Cutting to the chase and pointing fingers at the would be terrorists was not a common approach that Hillary took in speeches, but this was no time for skating around words.

Although this book had some good insight into the Hillary political machine, it is filled with gossip also.  I would recommend the chapter on the Arab Spring.

Thanks to Crown Publishers and the Blogging for Books program for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.