As everyone knows, Hillary Clinton, onetime first lady and former secretary of state, is running for president.
Ever since her 2008 primary loss to Barack Obama, it’s been assumed she’d take another stab at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. So when it was finally announced, the prevailing reaction wasn't one of surprise, but rather, “Can she avoid the past missteps?”
To answer that question and several others, The Huffington Post’s Drinking & Talking brought together two former Clinton aides, along with two longtime Clinton chroniclers.
Patti Solis Doyle, who served as the 2008 Clinton campaign manager for a period of time, and Tracy Sefl, a top campaign hand, joined Josh Green of Bloomberg News and Glenn Thrush of Politico to reminisce about the 2008 run and ponder the current one. They talked about the biggest mistakes -- from her vote to authorize the Iraq War, to her refusal to use a State Department email address, to the failure to emphasize her gender in the 2008 campaign.
"It is one of my personal biggest regrets," said Solis Doyle, of the last item.
They also discussed her most unrecognized strengths: an ability to imbibe (wine and vodka are her booze of choice) and a craftiness as a legislator that produced serious dividends for her state of New York.
Along the way, they offered a complex but intimate picture of the most dynamic female politician in U.S. history and, perhaps, the next president of the United States.
Enjoy.
Watch the video above. Here's an index of key moments in the discussion:
0:00 - A Drinking Game
0:20 - Hillary Clinton Book Club
2:02 - The Biggest Misconception About Hillary
5:48 - Clinton As Manager
10:39 - Margaret Thatcher or Mary Tyler Moore?
13:22 - If Clinton Could Do It Differently In 2008
15:50 - Hillary Derangement Syndrome
19:30 - Keeping Up With A Changing Democratic Party
"Drinking & Talking" is produced and edited by Adriana Usero, Christine Conetta and Ibrahim Balkhy. Technical direction is provided by Brad Shannon. Special thanks, as always, goes to Jason Linkins.
Before You Go
