Miss America
Yediot Ahronoth's Washington correspondent joins Hillary and Bill Clinton's press plane as they launch their campaign to retake the White House. 'We will not let Iran attain a nuclear bomb," presidential candidate says
New Hampshire - Hillary was walking briskly, her shoes flat, her gait confident. Occasionally, she paused for a few seconds, shaking hands and having her picture taken with anyone who wants, smiling broadly.
A woman about her age asked whether she believes America is ready for a female president. As if she expected the question, Hillary replied: Everything is possible in America. A while ago, a 90-year-old woman came up to me and said, 'I was born before women had the right to vote here, and I intend not to die before I see a woman sworn in as president in the White House.' She was not the only one either. Many women her age told me pretty much the same. Younger women also approach me with their daughters, little girls, point at me and tell the girls that I should be their source of inspiration, saying: 'You can make it if you want to. This is America.'
Hillary energetically walked the dirt road, waiving, openly admiring the cows in the shed. Behind her, walking slowly, as if trying to savor the moment, Bill Clinton was all smiles and kindness. This is his milieu: People. Here he blossoms. He has this handshake technique that makes his interlocutor feel that for the few seconds the former president holds his hand, he is busy with nothing else and his thoughts do not wander. He is totally focused on him, shaking his right hand, warmly holding his arm with his left hand.
Warm relationship with Israel. Hillary Clinton (Photo: AP)
When he came up to me, I told him I was a reporter from Israel. Where exactly? He inquired. Tel Aviv, I said. "Ho, Tel Aviv, my favorite," he said as if he was only waiting for this opportunity to express his affection for my hometown. Before the bodyguards stepped in, I managed to ask him if he thinks that if Hillary is elected, she could bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians. You bet she will, he told me and raised his thumb.
Hillary's campaign managers determined that Bill Clinton should keep a low profile while campaigning with her. He may be around, but not too visible. His edge is huge: not only does he miss the White House, as even he admitted, but the people miss him too. He could win many votes for Hillary, but he might also scare people away if they think that she is only a façade, while Bill will actually manage the country if she wins the elections.
Arriving at the New Hampshire Fair, they split up and toured separately. Occasionally, Hillary turned around to see whether Bill was keeping the desired pace among the horses, cows, and crowds, or perhaps she was making sure he does not attract too much attention. Her aides warned that he might overshadow her if he is around too much.
Connected to Israel
I wished to present Hillary with several questions on Middle East issues, but her top aides explained that she is not ready for interviews at this stage of her campaign. Eventually, after I pleaded hard, she agreed to answer some questions in writing.
Referring to the Iranian threat, Hillary told Yedioth Ahronoth: We will not let, allow, or agree that Iran produce or purchase nuclear weapons. I have said this before referring to the Iranian threat: No option is taken off the table. In her reply, she stressed that when she is elected president, she would not be committed to a holding personal, unconditional meetings with leaders of tough countries such as Iran.
She remained tough when referring to Hamas as well. In 2006, she promoted a Senate decision to deny the US aid to a Palestinian government of which Hamas is a partner. Hamas and all the Palestinian groups must clearly demonstrate their commitment to peace, she said. They must condemn violence and terror, and acknowledge Israel's right to exist. In addition, they must respect agreements signed by previous governments.
Hillary Clinton has a history of connections with and a deep commitment toward the State of Israel. The late Leah and Yitzhak Rabin were her close friends. Lydia, Hillary's hairdresser in those days who came to prepare her for the funeral, told me that the first time she saw Hillary cry was when she heard that Rabin was assassinated. Actually, she cried so hard and her eyes turned so red that no amount of makeup could hide it.
Her warm relationship with Israel, however, is not entirely based on her friendship with the Rabins. She feels that Israel is the United States' most important strategic ally in its war against the scourge of terror, which is why she has always supported Israel's antiterror moves. Not only is Israel a friend and an ally, she told Yedioth Ahronoth. Israel is also a beacon and an example of what a democracy should be like.
Keeping a low profile. Bill Clinton (Photo: AP)
Throughout the campaign, Hillary maintained her warm attitude toward Israel. A few days before this article was printed, another debate between the Democratic hopefuls was aired on MSNBC. Moderator Tim Russert asked Hillary about the Israeli operation in Syria. Without hesitation, she replied: What we think we know is that with North Korean help, both financial and technical and material, the Syrians apparently were putting together, and perhaps over some period of years, a nuclear facility, and the Israelis took it out. I strongly support that.
The White House model
The Hillary Clinton elections staff is based on the White House staff model, with which she is closely familiar. She has a chief of staff; a special department that handles the media and interview requests; sector advisers, each with his own independent staff and a secret crisis-management team, modeled on the damage control team that Bill Clinton had in the White House. This big staff comprises the most brilliant and professional campaign managers.
On top of that, Hillary Clinton has Bill, the best political adviser in the world who keeps a close-distant watch over her, reads her every speech, decides who is granted an interview and who is not, formulates strategies, gets angry when anger is needed, and pats people on their backs when they deserve it. He is the engine and the spirit of the campaign.
When Hillary went on this tour of New Hampshire and Iowa, she did not look like a presidential candidate, but already like a president. She was eloquent and together. She spoke passionately about the need to bring the US troops back from Iraq, promised to fight terror, introduce health system reforms, and restore America's special international status that it enjoyed before the Bush era, when it was viewed as a leading and effective superpower. Hillary vowed to take America back to where its residents may have big dreams.
Learning to laugh
Whether she is elected president or remains a leading candidate, Hillary Clinton will make history. Though she has the support of her husband for the campaign, she built her political career with her own two hands. Serving as a senator for the State of New York, she proved that she knows how to fight for just causes.
She showed the world that she knows how to manage, insist, and carry out revolutions for her voters. She is as versed in foreign affairs as she is familiar with domestic issues. Her patience is endless and her learning capability great.
During the months she prepared for the campaign, she underwent several external changes. She took time to work with a speech expert who taught her to lower her pitch when addressing a crowd so that her voice comes out less shrilly.
She learned not just to smile, but also to burst out laughing. She acquired this movement of tossing her head backward and then bringing it to fore with a rolling laughter at the right moment, mainly when she wants to thaw the ice when dealing with a tough interviewer.
Bill also does not hide his desire to return to the White House and actually sounds quite pleased contemplating the option. Throughout the joint campaign, he kept saying that he does not mind being 'first gentleman' and that he would be willing to do anything Hilary tells him. Obviously, she will be making the decisions and holding the reigns. Would he be willing to assume post as special envoy to the Middle East if and when Hillary is elected? If she asked me to resolve the conflict, I would do it gladly, he recently replied a question from Yedioth Ahronoth.
It is good for a man identified with America, with prior experience, to travel to centers of tension and try find solutions there, acting on behalf of the White House and all of America.
Naturally, an American president must first be good for America, but if Hillary Clinton is elected, the State of Israel and its residents will have not one friend in the White House but two.
