Hillary Clinton ‘Pragmatic and Realistic’ on Presidential Run

Hillary Clinton wrestles with the decision to run for President and is not in a hurry to announce her plans anytime soon, according to an interview in "New York" magazine

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Matt Rourke / AP

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton wrestles with the decision to run for the presidency and is not in a hurry to announce her plans anytime soon.

Those are just some of the takeaways in New York magazine’s substantial profile of the former Secretary of State, online today, which represents her first extended interview since stepping down from her post at the State Department.

“I’m both pragmatic and realistic,” she said when asked about a presidential run. “I think I have a pretty good idea of the political and governmental challenges that are facing our leaders, and I’ll do whatever I can from whatever position I find myself in to advocate for the values and the policies I think are right for the country. I will just continue to weigh what the factors are that would influence me making a decision one way or the other.”

We also learn in the piece that Hillary and former President Bill Clinton are finding joy at the moment in the simple pleasures of everyday life. For the first time in decades, neither Clinton holds an elected office or is campaigning for one, the New York piece reminds us. Both are currently working at the nonprofit now known as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, which holds its annual conference in New York City next week.

“We get to be at home together a lot more now than we used to in the last few years,” the former Secretary of State told the magazine. “We have a great time; we laugh at our dogs; we watch stupid movies; we take long walks; we go for a swim.”

The influence of the Clintons’ daughter Chelsea is growing as well, with Hillary telling the magazine that their daughter “is now the chief Bill Clinton gatekeeper.” She’s even assisting with upcoming HBO documentary about the former President, directed by Martin Scorsese.

[New York]