Hillary Clinton

I've never been fascinated by any public figure until I've heard and read about Hillary Clinton.

I can unashamedly say that I've been a HUGE follower for a long time. Let me attempt to prove that claim.

First I've read two of her books. It Takes a Village, and Living History.

Since then I was hooked.

During the 2008 primary fight for the Democratic Presidential nomination, I'd obsessively search for news and articles online just to get my daily Hillary fix. I eagerly waited for new campaign ads on her website. I spent hours in front of the computer at home, and then again at the office in the evenings, looking for any updates about her. I watched every debate of the Democratic primary. I read and re-read political blogs about her, and even signed up on several news websites just to chime in and get my two cents across online discussion boards. I remember one Washington Post commenter (obviously a Republican) replying to one of my posts, saying it's a pity I was even commenting because I was obviously the lone dissenting voice. I even opted-in to her campaign mailing list (which was useless because I am not allowed to contribute to her campaign!).  I remember staying wide awake all day, coming off from the graveyard shift, waiting for results of the Obama-Clinton saga. The big States she won - New York, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and I celebrated with her. I was heartbroken when she almost lost it in New Hampshire during an interview, and was equally angry when she famously said "Shame on you, Barack Obama!" for resorting to Karl Rove-ian tactics in Ohio.

I agreed with her, and I still do, that change cannot be had by simply giving a speech and waving a magic wand, hoping celestial beings would appear and make everything as it should be. That experience will always trump a hopey-dopey promise of change. But alas, Obama's message was more resonant. America couldn't pass the chance of electing the first black President, inexperience notwithstanding. And yeah, Oprah threw her considerable weight on the change bandwagon. Mainstream media made sure Hillary got the worst publicity character assassination, and painted her as Satan's wife incarnate. History was made. She lost. I was crushed. I consoled myself by watching the entire Clinton concession speech several times, until I memorized most of her catchy lines. I thought her message was eloquent and beautiful.

Then she became Obama's Secretary of State. A Secretary of State unprecedented in terms of unanimous support from the Pentagon, a perennial State Department rival for power. A Secretary of State unprecedented in terms of global name recognition and star power. A Secretary of State so well respected by the military brass she could very well be the Commander-in-Chief-in-waiting.

She recently lost her 92-year old mother, Dorothy Rodham due to illness. She was on her way to London for a conference on cybersecurity when she heard the news. But just a few days after she was back on the road in Guam, delivering a speech at the APEC Summit, in which the US is currently the co-chair.

Today she's in Manila, her second trip to the country since becoming the US Secretary of State - the most widely traveled SOS in US history, and according to many, one of the best who had ever held the job. While everyone is agog in Manila about the TRO on Gloria, Hillary will probably be in serious talks about China's aggressive claiming of the entire West Philippine Sea. I expect her to offer a forceful rebuke about the shameless arrogance and greed of the Chinese, their utter disrespect for UNCLOS and international laws. This can very well be something she'll be able to expertly sort out, as in the case of her victorious diplomatic behind-the-scenes on Libya (documented in TIME's excellent piece of her and Smart Power, out this month). Or her expert resetting of the US-Russia relations after years of animosity. Or her (and Susan Rice's) victory at the UN Security Council in imposing sanctions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (against threats of a veto from China and Russia). Her list of achievements at State is rather long.

I often wonder about how America would be now, had she been elected President 4 years ago. Would the US economy still be in the tank? Would unemployment still be at an all time high of 9.1%? Would America still be in Afghanistan and Iraq? Would she have the same set of challenges as Obama has in getting reelected for a second term? I wonder if she will ever run for President again. I am hopeful about the last one, although she's said many times that it is not even in the realm of possibility.

Well I don't know how to end this post really. I can go on an on about the things I know about Hillary Clinton; her life, her politics and her stint at State. I can even go and describe in detail what she wore during Chelsea's wedding to banker Mark Mevzinsky. I guess my point is that I can always prove, if anyone would dare dispute, that I am a fan. A big big fan. But I highly doubt that though, I don't even know if someone would actually be interested in a topic as boring as what I wrote just now.

And this post got me itching to read her book, Living History, all over again.