Hillary’s Memoirs

More than a look to the past, former Sen. Clinton’s book is a lever to portray herself as a future presidential candidate.

English language speakers use the expression “a fly on the wall,” which in Spanish would be “a pinhole in the wall,” to refer to the possibility of accessing a secret place or conversation without being discovered. In this spirit came the news that Hillary Clinton — secretary of state, senator and first lady — had published her memoirs.

Her visits to 112 countries and her diplomatic encounters with major world leaders between 2009 and 2013, as well as the confidences she shared with the U.S. president and her need to make quick decisions about critical issues, make the book release an enticing appetizer for those who wish to learn about her past or, like a fly on the wall, simply want to know the hidden details of her time in power.

Reading the 600-page book, “Hard Choices,” leaves the reader somewhat let down because Clinton reveals details only in dribs and drabs. She makes comments here and shares impressions there. She describes a series of international visits that reminds one of a tourist overwhelmed by a tight schedule — if today is Friday, we must be in Paris.

The author, who we are supposed to believe took personal notes in the midst of a frenzied agenda full of trips and negotiations, has no intention of looking backward; rather, she is looking ahead — very specifically — to the Tuesday following the first Monday in November 2016, when Americans will elect the person who will replace Barack Obama in the White House.

Hillary Clinton has not yet announced her candidacy, but her secret is so open that renouncing the candidacy would almost be more newsworthy than confirmation of her entry into the presidential race.

Hillary Clinton is a woman who always defies predictions. She managed to rid herself of the image of a first lady betrayed by the most powerful man on the planet, becoming an active senator and running against Obama for the presidency in 2008. She didn’t want to be a fly on the wall. Rather, she is a leading voice in decision-making. Her memoirs are a statement of intentions, a sincere and early entry in the electoral campaign.