WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an interview with New York Magazine that she is wrestling with running for president again but remains “pragmatic and realistic” as she considers a potential White House campaign in 2016.
The former secretary of state told the magazine in an article posted online Sunday that she will do whatever she can “to advocate for the values and the policies I think are right for the country.” Clinton said she would continue to weigh the factors that would influence her final decision but offered no timetable for an announcement.
“I’m not in any hurry. I think it’s a serious decision, not to be made lightly, but it’s also not one that has to be made soon,” Clinton said. “This election is more than three years away, and I just don’t think it’s good for the country.” It was Clinton’s first interview since departing as President Barack Obama’s top diplomat in February.
The former first lady and New York senator compared it with meeting someone at a party “and they look over your shoulder to see who else is there, and you want to talk to them about something that’s really important.”
“In fact, maybe you came to the party to talk to that particular person, and they just want to know what’s next. I feel like that’s our political process right now. I just don’t think it is good.”
Clinton appears to be the leading contender for the Democratic nomination if she chooses to run. Democrats are watching her moves closely for any indication of her decision, which could have amajor influence on whether others decide to enter the race. Potential contenders include Vice President Joe Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Asked in the interview if she wrestles with running for president, Clinton said, “I do, but I’m both pragmatic and realistic. I think I have a pretty good idea of the political and governmental challenges that are facing our leaders.”
Clinton said she remains friends with Obama and felt “comfortable raising issues with him. I had a very positive set of interactions, even when I disagreed, which obviously occurred, because obviously I have my own opinions, my own views.”
Clinton said she is enjoying spending more time with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and having a more normal life after two decadesin national politics.
“We get to be at home together a lot more now than we used to in the last few years. We have a great time; we laugh at our dogs;we watch stupid movies; we take long walks; we go for a swim,” Hillary Clinton said. “You know, just ordinary, everyday pleasures.”
The former president said in a separate interview that aired Sunday on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS that any decision by his wife is “a long way ahead. I think she would be the first to tell you that there is no such thing as a done deal, ever, by anybody. But I don’t know what she’s going to do.”
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in an interview that aired Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union that if Hillary Clinton won the presidency, she would be one of the most experienced people to enter the White House in a long time, “certainly more prepared than President Obama, certainly more prepared than President Bush, certainly more prepared than PresidentClinton, I might admit.”
The Clintons are hosting their annual Clinton Global Initiative meetings in New York this week.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 09/23/2013