Chasing Hillary
Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns and One Intact Glass Ceiling
Book Edition Details
Summary
In the whirlwind of political ambition and personal discovery, Amy Chozick's "Chasing Hillary" offers an unparalleled look into the heart of a historic presidential race and the journalist who chronicled it. With the tenacity of a seasoned reporter and the introspection of a memoirist, Chozick navigates the high-stakes drama of Hillary Clinton's campaigns, capturing both the public spectacle and private struggles. Her decade-long journey, from the chaotic 2008 bid to the tumultuous 2016 election, reveals a landscape of political intrigue and personal growth, where Chozick's own life becomes intertwined with Clinton's quest for the presidency. Amidst the chaos of campaign buses and the glare of media scrutiny, she uncovers a portrait of Clinton that is both human and formidable, sharing insights that defy the expected narrative. A vivid tapestry of ambition, resilience, and the pursuit of truth, this book transcends the typical campaign chronicle, offering a candid and compelling perspective on one of America's most fascinating political figures.
Introduction
In the unforgiving world of American political journalism, few assignments prove as transformative as covering Hillary Clinton. For nearly a decade, one reporter found herself locked in an intricate dance with one of the most scrutinized figures in modern politics, navigating the treacherous waters between professional duty and personal survival. This extraordinary journey began with an unlikely encounter in San Antonio, where a seventeen-year-old girl shook hands with the First Lady, never imagining that this brief moment would define her career as a political journalist. The relationship between Clinton and the press corps assigned to chronicle her every move was fraught with tension, mutual suspicion, and occasional flashes of unexpected humanity. Through countless miles on campaign buses, endless hotel rooms, and the relentless pressure of the 24-hour news cycle, a unique perspective emerged on what it truly means to chase power in America. From this remarkable vantage point, readers will discover the brutal realities of campaign journalism, the personal cost of covering a polarizing figure, and the profound insights that emerge when professional boundaries blur with human experience. This story reveals not just the mechanics of political reporting, but the transformation that occurs when a journalist becomes both observer and participant in the theater of American democracy.
Breaking Into the Inner Circle: From Fashion to Political Journalism
The leap from writing about luxury handbags to covering presidential politics might seem impossible, but it represents the kind of audacious career transformation that defines modern journalism. Starting as a lifestyle reporter covering fashion weeks and celebrity parties, the transition to political journalism required proving herself worthy of covering the most powerful figures in the world. The New York Times political desk was an intimidating fortress of seasoned reporters who had spent decades building sources and understanding the intricate dynamics of Washington power. Breaking into this exclusive club demanded more than just writing talent—it required a willingness to endure constant rejection, public humiliation, and the psychological warfare that characterizes modern political campaigns. Early encounters with Clinton's press operation revealed a sophisticated machine designed to control information flow and manage media narratives. The campaign's press handlers treated new reporters with particular suspicion, viewing them as potential threats to their carefully constructed message discipline. The learning curve was steep and unforgiving. Political journalism operates by its own unwritten rules, where access is currency and relationships determine success. Understanding the subtle hierarchies within press corps, decoding the meaning behind campaign statements, and navigating the complex web of sources and handlers required skills that no journalism school could teach. Each small victory—a returned phone call, a brief quote, a moment of recognition from a senior aide—represented progress in an environment where most attempts at engagement were met with stone-cold silence. The author's persistence eventually began to pay dividends, but not without significant personal cost. The demanding schedule, constant travel, and high-pressure deadlines strained relationships and challenged long-held assumptions about work-life balance. Yet these sacrifices were necessary steps in the transformation from outsider to insider, from fashion writer to political correspondent capable of holding her own in the most competitive arena of American journalism.
The Clinton Beat: Navigating Media Wars and Campaign Dynamics
Life covering Hillary Clinton revealed the grinding reality behind the glossy facade of presidential politics. The assignment began years before Clinton officially announced her 2016 campaign, creating an unusual dynamic where reporters were assigned to cover someone who wasn't yet officially running for anything. This early positioning fundamentally changed how Clinton's post-State Department activities would be scrutinized, turning routine speeches and book tours into potential campaign events worthy of intense media analysis. The relationship between Clinton and her press corps grew increasingly strained as the pre-campaign period progressed. What began as professional wariness evolved into open hostility, with both sides viewing the other as obstacles to their respective missions. Clinton's team saw the media as sensation-seeking troublemakers more interested in controversy than substance, while reporters struggled with unprecedented restrictions on access and information. The famous "bathroom incident," where a press aide followed a reporter into the restroom, became symbolic of how absurd the relationship had become. The daily rhythm of Clinton coverage created its own peculiar intimacy among the traveling press. Thrown together in buses, planes, and hotel lobbies, journalists who might never socialize in normal circumstances became a makeshift family bound by shared exhaustion and mutual dependence. These relationships provided both comfort and competition, as colleagues alternated between collaboration and rivalry in pursuit of exclusive stories. The camaraderie was real, born of shared experiences that few outside the political world could understand. Perhaps most revealing were the rare moments when carefully maintained barriers would briefly collapse. A shared laugh over an absurd campaign moment, a quiet conversation during a flight delay, or the simple human recognition that everyone involved was struggling with the same impossible demands. These glimpses of authenticity became precious commodities in a world where everything else felt manufactured for public consumption, offering tantalizing hints of the person behind the political persona.
Election 2016: Historic Stakes and Unprecedented Challenges
The 2016 presidential campaign unfolded as both a historic milestone and a study in the unpredictable nature of American politics. Clinton's nomination as the first woman to lead a major party ticket carried enormous symbolic weight, yet this achievement was consistently overshadowed by controversies that dominated media coverage. The email server issue became a persistent shadow over the campaign, creating a feedback loop that frustrated both the candidate and reporters who wanted to focus on policy differences and substantive issues. The campaign's relationship with the press reached new levels of dysfunction during the general election. Clinton's team, composed largely of veterans from previous Democratic campaigns, often seemed unprepared for the new realities of political communication in the digital age. Social media, partisan news sources, and foreign interference created an information environment that traditional campaign strategies struggled to navigate effectively. The daily release of hacked campaign emails by WikiLeaks created a constant crisis atmosphere that prevented sustained focus on positive messaging. The final months of the campaign were marked by a series of October surprises that would ultimately prove decisive. FBI Director James Comey's letter to Congress about additional emails, the ongoing WikiLeaks releases, and the emergence of the Access Hollywood tape created a chaotic information environment that overshadowed substantive policy discussions. Despite the turbulence, confidence among Clinton's team and the traveling press remained high, with data showing a likely victory and crowds appearing enthusiastic at campaign events. Election night shattered assumptions about American politics, polling accuracy, and the power of traditional campaign strategies. The mood had been so celebratory in the final days that the eventual outcome felt surreal. For the reporters who had covered every twist and turn of the campaign, it represented both a professional and personal reckoning—a reminder that despite all their access, analysis, and expertise, they had fundamentally misunderstood the mood of the country and the appeal of Trump's message to key constituencies.
After the Fall: Lessons on Democracy, Media, and Personal Cost
The aftermath of the 2016 election forced a profound reckoning for everyone involved in covering the campaign. The realization that Russian intelligence had successfully manipulated American media coverage through strategic leaks and disinformation campaigns raised uncomfortable questions about the role of the press in democratic society. Reporters who had dutifully covered hacked emails found themselves grappling with the possibility that they had become unwitting participants in a foreign influence operation designed to undermine American democracy. For Clinton, the defeat represented the end of a political career that had spanned nearly five decades. The woman who had been First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State, and two-time presidential candidate faced the challenge of defining her legacy beyond electoral politics. The personal cost of such a public life—the constant scrutiny, the attacks on her character, the sacrifice of privacy—became more apparent in the months following her concession speech. Her relationship with the press remained complicated, shaped by decades of coverage she viewed as unfair and disproportionately focused on controversy rather than substance. The 2016 campaign highlighted the personal toll that political journalism takes on those who practice it. The constant travel, pressure to break news, sacrifice of personal relationships, and psychological stress of covering high-stakes elections created challenges that extended far beyond professional considerations. Many reporters found themselves questioning not just their coverage decisions but their career choices, wondering whether the pursuit of political scoops justified the personal cost. The traditional model of political journalism—treating both sides equally, focusing on horse-race dynamics, chasing daily news cycles—seemed inadequate for covering unprecedented political circumstances. The experience served as a reminder that even the most dedicated journalism cannot guarantee democratic outcomes, and that the relationship between media coverage and electoral results remains more complex and unpredictable than many practitioners care to admit. The lessons learned from covering Clinton's campaigns would prove essential for understanding the evolving challenges facing both American democracy and the journalists tasked with chronicling its struggles and triumphs.
Summary
The decade-long journey of covering Hillary Clinton's political career reveals fundamental truths about American politics, journalism, and the complex relationship between power and those who chronicle it. At its core, this story demonstrates that political reporting is not merely about gathering facts and quotes, but about understanding the human dynamics that drive our democratic system. Clinton's career, marked by both historic achievements and devastating defeats, illustrates the particular challenges faced by women in American politics and the ways in which media coverage can both illuminate and distort political reality. The experience offers invaluable lessons for anyone seeking to understand modern American politics or the evolution of political journalism. Success in this field requires not just writing ability but emotional resilience, cultural adaptability, and an almost superhuman capacity for persistence in the face of rejection and hostility. The relationship between journalists and political figures is inevitably complicated by competing interests, personal ambitions, and the structural demands of both professions, yet these tensions often produce the most revealing insights into character and motivation. This account will particularly resonate with readers interested in women's political leadership, the behind-the-scenes realities of presidential campaigns, and the personal costs of both political ambition and the journalism that covers it, serving as both cautionary tale and testament to the importance of persistent, dedicated reporting in maintaining democratic accountability.
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By Amy Chozick
