I'm a conservative who feels sorry for Hillary Clinton
She's been really, really mistreated in her time in the public eye. No wonder she seems so unlikeable.


Hillary Clinton is not the most likeable politician. And there's good reason for it. Her political career paints a picture of naked self-interest and a win-at-all-costs attitude. Her public persona is endlessly cautious and poll-tested. It is impossible to believe anything that comes out of her mouth.
And yet... And yet...
Empathy is an important virtue, and we should always exercise it, especially when it's hard. And I have to recognize that it's important to empathize with Hillary Clinton.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
She almost certainly married, at least in part, out of political interest, and because of her belief that as a woman in 1970s America she couldn't have a political career on her own. And the man she married was not only serially adulterous (and maybe worse), but humiliated her globally in the most mortifying way imaginable. And yet, for political interest, she had to stick by him and defend him.
She became a culture war flashpoint almost as soon as she stepped onto the national stage, and has been on the receiving end of everything in politics that you can imagine. Everything she does is bound to be criticized, and taken unfairly, at least by some people. She has made countless enemies in both parties, some for good reason, but some, undoubtedly, not.
And the reward, the ultimate reward, everything she's worked so tirelessly for, the Oval Office, keeps eluding her every time she tries to snatch it. First, Barack Obama came out of nowhere to rob her of her coronation. Now, Bernie Sanders. Will it ever end?
Is it any wonder, then, the bunker mentality? Is it any wonder, the defensiveness? Is it any wonder, the over-cautiousness, the poll-testing of everything? Is it any wonder, turning the other eye to corruption, or engaging in it, if it's the price to stay on the treadmill? Yes, using a private email server as secretary of state may have harmed national security, but you have to put yourself in her shoes and understand why she was so anxious to avoid having her emails in U.S. government records.
Don't get me wrong. I detest many of the policies Hillary Clinton supports. I think that she doesn't have the right temperament to be president. And I think that her ethical baggage, as well as that of her husband, disqualifies her from the presidency.
But I do empathize with her at a human level. Many of her worst traits are probably the consequences of deep, personal wounds. And as we get into a campaign where everyone will demonize everyone, I don't want to forget that.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, First Things, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other places. He lives in Paris with his beloved wife and daughter.
-
Dutch government falls over immigration policy
speed read The government collapsed after anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition
-
The Week Junior Book Awards 2025 Shortlist Announced
The Week Junior Book Awards have unveiled the 2025 shortlist, celebrating the best in children’s literature across 13 categories.
-
South Korea elects liberal Lee as president
speed read Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, was elected president following months of political instability in the wake of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy