Hillary Clinton is feeling free. Kind of.
Having tackled Howard Stern’s show in December, finally relenting to the host’s charm offensive, Clinton decided to stop by “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” on the promotional tour for Hulu’s new “Hillary” docuseries. Cohen is as capable as Stern at coaxing public figures into candor about their personal lives. (An Andrew Cohen employed by NBC Universal donated thousands of dollars to Clinton’s 2016 campaign.)
Clinton, an avowed “Real Housewives of New York City” fan, didn’t give much away, although she did “make it nice” and rip a shot from Jimmy Fallon’s shotski with RHONY star Dorinda Medley, an old friend and enthusiastic campaign donor. (Medley’s late husband Richard was a Democratic congressional staffer, Geraldine Ferraro speechwriter, and adviser to George Soros.)
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Clinton played “Plead the Fifth” and a game called “Rumor Hill,” in which Cohen presented her with a rapid-fire stream of gossip to confirm or deny. We learned her relationship with Barbra Streisand is just fine, she made the White House a “no-smoking zone,” Anna Wintour helped style her 2016, and that, yes, she said, “F-ck the correspondent’s dinner” before the bin Laden raid. The former secretary of state also called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) decision to tear up her copy of the president’s State of the Union address an “interesting and effective gesture.”
Clinton declined to weigh in on the Trumps’ marriage, conceding, “I’m the last person to comment on anybody’s relationship.” On the After Show, Clinton said wedding Bill was the biggest risk she’s ever taken and rated her ability to hold her liquor at a 10. She also mentioned she would “absolutely” meet with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) if he reached out.
According to Clinton, Kate McKinnon and Amy Poehler are responsible for her favorite “Saturday Night Live” impersonations. They “really captured it,” she told Cohen.
Praising her daughter’s Twitter account, Clinton said, “We’re so divided right now and we’re so hostile toward people that we think don’t agree with us or somehow are different from us that somebody has to start trying to bridge that gulf.” The basket of deplorables, of course, went unmentioned.
The Daily Beast was amused:
The revelations were nothing particularly scandalous, but they were pretty fun. She’s forgotten the name of a world leader she’s meeting before. She’s taken a roadie with her in a motorcade. She’s gotten tipsy with Obama. She’s gone skinny-dipping, but not in the White House pool. She’s been to a gay bar. It was all very cute!
“The entire thing was a blast,” the Beast later added. “Sometimes it’s just fun to see a world leader be allowed to enjoy herself with such abandon, freed of shackles of political propriety.”
If this is Clinton “enjoy[ing] herself with abandon, freed of shackles of political propriety,” I am deeply concerned she might be a robot. It was mildly interesting, sure, to see her on Cohen’s laidback set, answering questions about alien babies with a group of “RuPaul” contestants behind the bar. Like most politicians, she’s capable of delivering lame jokes and laughing in a semi-human way when necessary. But she was still diplomatic.
Countess LuAnn performing “Girl Code,” now that’s someone enjoying herself with abandon. Good Bravo stars should make terrible politicians. (Even when they’re actual politicians.)
Like many a WWHL guest before her, Clinton was asked to say what her “Real Housewives” tagline would be. After Cohen asked, Clinton feigned surprise. “Ohhhhh,” she said, while Cohen replied, “I heard that you came with one.”
Clinton laughed and delivered her tagline. “I’m neither as good or as bad as some people say,” she smirked. Smooth, as ever.
