Summary

Chapter 9 describes the idea of a “change” candidate and Secretary Clinton’s views on how meaningful change is accomplished (195). Clinton notes that Americans always seem to want to vote for a Presidential candidate that represents change. She had trouble fitting this mold, both because she sought to build on Obama’s popular achievements and because she has always believed in balancing political idealism with the pragmatism to actually accomplish things. She learned the value of pragmatism throughout her life, most notably from Marian Wright Edelman of the Children’s Defense Fund. Marian led CDF when Clinton worked there and helped to understand the slow and effort-intensive process of enacting political change. Hillary realized that only through concerted and long-term work could lasting reforms occur. In college, Hillary states that she was far more idealistic and activist, yet struggled even then with...