Chasing Hillary Book Summary - Chasing Hillary Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

Chasing Hillary summary

Name: Chasing Hillary
Rating: 3.9 (10 reviews)
Author: Amy Chozick

Amy Chozick

Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns and One Intact Glass Ceiling

3.9 (10 ratings)

27 mins

Topics

Memoirs Women's Stories Inspiration

Table of Contents

Chasing Hillary
Summary of 10 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 10

What’s in it for me? Get the inside story on Hillary Clinton’s failed bid to become US President.

Hillary Clinton began the race for the 2016 United States presidential election as the strongest candidate in the field. She’d been First Lady of the United States when her husband Bill was president; she’d been a Senator for the State of New York; she narrowly lost the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential campaign to Barack Obama, but then went on to serve as his secretary of state after he was elected.

She had name recognition and a wealth of experience. There seemed to be no Democratic challenger on the horizon, and the bloated Republican field was little more than a joke. Even a reality TV presenter and failed businessman who’d filed for bankruptcy six times was trying to get the Republican nomination.

But she lost it. And as far as the New York Times’ designated Clinton election reporter, Amy Chozick, is concerned, she lost it because she just couldn’t get her message out. Her recalcitrance and distrust of the press meant that Clinton’s deeper talents – the ones that could have swayed the electorate – just didn’t get aired.

Amy Chozick’s account is personal, but that’s no reason to dismiss it. She was there with Clinton from the start, through the primaries and caucuses right up to election night itself. If there’s one person you can trust for the inside story, it’s Chozick.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how Hillary Clinton unmasked racist segregationists in the US South;
which of the US states Clinton joked should be given to the Chinese; and
Clinton’s favorite scripture to quote.

Amy Chozick thought she’d landed the dream journalism job following Hillary Clinton.

In 2013, Amy Chozick took the momentous decision to have her eggs frozen. She knew she was in for a busy few years, and it was clear that children couldn’t be a consideration until 2016 at the earliest. In 2011, she’d been gifted her dream assignment at the New York Times: she was to focus on Hillary Clinton and the Clinton family and write stories about them for the paper.

By 2013 there were already rumors circulating that Clinton would once again attempt to run as a candidate in the US presidential election, and the author’s job took on a whole new level of intensity. It was then that she realized children would not come into the picture anytime soon.

The liberal press, including the Times, started putting together teams to follow what was sure to be a historic race for president.

After all, at that point, Hillary Clinton held a 70-percent approval rating in the polls – her route to victory in 2016 seemed all but certain. Maybe she’d have to show her face at a few charity balls, but that was about it.

Clinton was known on the liberal circuit for her numerous positive qualities. She fought to save the whales, combat malaria, increase literacy rates and support Jews against anti-Semitism. In particular, Clinton's strong Methodist faith was known to guide her.

The author was thrilled to take the position but, unbeknownst to her at the time, her employer and Clinton didn’t exactly have the best relationship. She found out about this when she first tried to wrangle interviews with Hillary Clinton and was given the cold shoulder by Clinton’s press aides. It turned out the bad blood between the Times and the Clintons went back several decades.

In fact, the Clintons had been distrustful of the Times since 1992. That year, reporter Jeff Gerth had written about the Clintons’ investing in property near the White River in Arkansas. The story sparked an investigation. It was rumored that the Clintons might have received financial help to buy the property, and it was even suggested that they had given out a few political favors in return.

It became known in the media as the Whitewater Scandal – but, in the end, there was nothing to the rumors. Even so, there had been nothing but bad blood since then between the Clintons and the Times.

Chozick's stories peeved Clinton’s press team and their relationship grew strained.

Soon after the author was assigned to follow Clinton, it became clear that all was not well; Clinton’s press aides essentially ignored her. However, the author wasn’t going to let that stop her doing her job. She was determined to keep filing stories. But even these, no matter how tepid, upset Clinton’s press team.

The author published a story in the New York Times Magazine called Planet Hillary in January 2014. The graphic accompanying the article depicted Clinton’s face as a pale planet, surrounded by a galaxy of minions. It was all a bit tongue-in-cheek: those pictured around her included her closest advisors, her hardest workers, her husband’s and daughter’s entourages and her backstabbing friends.

Clinton’s use of a private email server for state matters became a matter of obsession for the press.

On March 4, 2015, at 11:35 p.m., Hillary Clinton tweeted that the public would have access to her emails, and they were being prepared for redacted release.

Within minutes, this message was retweeted thousands of times. It was huge news, and it was an attempt on Clinton’s part to put an end to a story that had refused to die.

Hillary Clinton has a funny, silly side, but the campaign subdued that side of her.

One thing that Clinton often doesn’t get credit for is her sense of humor.

When she was asked once more about her email at the end of summer 2015, Clinton was ready with a quip in hand. She joked that she had just registered for a Snapchat account, the social media service best known for automatically deleting messages and pictures once they’ve been read by the recipient.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign faced more competition than expected from Bernie Sanders's powerful speeches.

While many people expected Clinton to cruise to eventual victory in the presidential election, she still had to secure the official endorsement from the Democratic Party. It was supposed to be a mere technicality – but everyone was in for a surprise. Senator Bernie Sanders was determined to give Clinton a run for her money and, crucially, his campaign seemed a lot more fun.

Journalists on the Bernie Bus were exuberant and said it felt like they were witnessing a revolution. In contrast, the author and 20 other journalists on Clinton’s bus felt they were stuck in an interminable funeral cortege.

Hillary Clinton was so bad with the press that she even scuttled some positive press stories.

If you were following the 2016 presidential campaign, then what no doubt struck you was just how few positive stories there were about Hillary Clinton.

But this wasn’t only the media’s fault. In fact, Clinton really shot herself in the foot on this one thanks to her general distrust of the media.

Clinton is a deeply religious person, but this asset was barely discussed in the press.

In the run-up to the election, every Sunday for more than a year, Hillary Clinton worshipped at one of the country’s many black churches.

But this wasn’t some false gesture aimed at getting black votes; Clinton takes her Christian values very seriously. And these Sundays also showcased her best side.

Hillary Clinton’s best qualities as a presidential candidate came out only when she faced her first serious challenge.

In January 2016, the Democratic primaries were going badly for Clinton. The challenge from Bernie Sanders was far stronger than expected. His ads were running all over the country, and polls showed that he might even be able to win the Democratic nomination ahead of Clinton.

Clinton refused to get depressed and slink away in the face of Sanders’s challenge. In fact, the threat galvanized her. She was utterly fantastic as an underdog, and Bill Clinton knew this too. He often claimed that Clinton only showed her best side in politics when she really had to come out guns blazing.

Clinton was arguably a better debater than Trump, but she foolishly let herself be distracted by him.

Clinton's defeat of Bernie Sanders was historic. She became the first woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major party.

But she now faced an altogether different opponent: Donald Trump was the Republican Party candidate, and he was cut from a different cloth.

Hillary’s election loss was depressing but has also created a shift in perspective.

On election night, the Democrats were confident that it would be an easy win for Clinton. But, as we know, Trump triumphed. The Democrats were shaken to their core: it was shocking and deeply depressing to have such a terrible candidate win.

They weren’t the only ones. The journalists – many of whom were women – who’d been assigned to follow Clinton, were shell-shocked, too. They gathered the morning after the election to watch Clinton’s concession speech. For them, Clinton’s loss was not only about the figure of Clinton herself; it symbolized and encapsulated the insecurities many women feel about their professional standing and worth in the United States today.

Want to see all full key ideas from Chasing Hillary?

Key ideas in Chasing Hillary

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Chasing Hillary about?

Chasing Hillary (2018) details journalist Amy Chozick’s deeply personal experience at the New York Times reporting on Hillary Clinton. The book follows not just Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 US presidential election but also her battle with Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party primaries. It delves deep into the Clinton psyche, looking back to the times before she even considered running for high office.

Best quote from Chasing Hillary

Coincidentally, most of the reporters posted on the Clinton trail were women. For example, CNN had Brianna Keilar, Politico went with Maggie Haberman and NBC chose Monica Alba.

—Amy Chozick

Who should read Chasing Hillary?

Journalists
People fascinated by US politics
Anyone wondering just how Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump

About the Author

Amy Chozick is an award-winning journalist and author who works principally for the New York Times. Since joining the Times in 2011, the main focus of her reporting has been Hillary Clinton and the Clinton family. Chozick was born in San Antonio, Texas. She now lives in New York with her partner.

Categories with Chasing Hillary

Politics Biography & Memoir

Books like Chasing Hillary

Shattered

Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes

Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign

The Biohacker's Guide to Getting the Body and Mind You Want

Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know

A Guide To Spiritual Enlightenment

19 min

4.5

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

Richard P. Feynman

Adventures of a Curious Character

7 min

3.2

That Little Voice in Your Head

Mo Gawdat

Adjust the Code That Runs Your Brain

Everything I’ve Ever Learned From Things Going Wrong

How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your Pleasure

A War Reporter’s Mission to Make It Home

16 min

4.0

Impromptu

Reid Hoffman with GPT-4

Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI

An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World

A Political Satire on the Corrupting Influence of Power

31 min

4.8

How to Think Like a Philosopher

Peter Cave

Scholars, Dreamers and Sages Who Can Teach Us How to Live

Andrew Jackson in the White House

A Memoir of the Obama White House

A Brief History of Humankind

28 min

4.4

The Mental Toughness Handbook

Damon Zahariades

A Step-By-Step Guide to Facing Life's Challenges, Managing Negative Emotions, and Overcoming Adversity with Courage and Poise

A Story That Tells You How To Be One

A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming

16 min

3.4

How to Meet Your Self

Nicole LePera

The Workbook for Self-Discovery

16 min

4.2

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Classic That Will Challenge Everything You Know

The Year of Magical Thinking

The Secret Strengths of Introverts

What to Say to Get Your Way

One Boy’s Desire for Reinvention to Climb the Social Ladder

What the Brain Does When You’re Not Looking

12 min

4.2

Freakonomics

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Machiavelli's classic text on leadership and politics

Lose up to a Pound a Day, Reclaim Energy and Focus, Upgrade Your Life

The Clintons vs. the Obamas

The secret methods to getting what you want

15 min

3.9

The Singularity Is Near

Ray Kurzweil

When Humans Transcend Biology

A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill

16 min

4.4

The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

John Perkins

An insider's account of imperialism in the modern age

Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work

Time Management for Mortals

23 min

4.5

The Confidence Code

Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

The Science and Art of Self-Assurance: What Women Should Know

A Prosecutor’s Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law

Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds

18 min

4.2

The Coaching Habit

Michael Bungay Stanier

Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality

Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary

16 min

4.5

How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less

Nicholas Boothman

Make Instant, Meaningful Connections for Interviewing, Selling, Managing, Pitching

Work, Wealth and Welfare in the Robot Age

A Four Thousand Year History

A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

14 min

4.3

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.