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They were urged to assemble that conference call and to speak frankly to Hillary by some of the top strategists around Hillary. ... Close associates of hers, friends of hers were saying she really didn't want the vice presidency. She really didn't want it, even though she wouldn't mind being offered it, or talked about it. Some of what we know tonight is that in the vetting [of potential VP candidates] process that's going to be set up, they were going to demand, that is, Jim Johnson and the others looking at her as a possible candidate, that Bill Clinton open up the records of the Clinton Library -- all the donors, the tens of millions of dollars, where they came from? And I think Hillary's reluctance to more fully really consider or give her heart to the notion of the vice presidency is she knew that it would require a legal vetting of her husband, and she he couldn't pass it. ... If she wants Obama's fundraising prowess, if she wants contributors to help erase that enormous debt that she's got, she needs to quickly get back in the fold and get with the program, and I think that's what she's doing now. I really don't think it's about the Veep thing because the Obama people have pretty much already said as of today that they're really not interested.

Hillary Clinton#79

PoliticsPrivacyTesting

About this quote

What does it mean?
Hillary Clinton hesitated to run for vice president due to potential vetting of Bill Clinton's finances.
In plain terms
She feared the vetting process would expose her husband's donors.
What can you take from it?
Political spouses may avoid office to protect their family's privacy.

Where it applies

  • campaign strategy
  • political vetting
  • public office

Putting it to work

  • analyze risks
  • consider privacy
  • evaluate financial records

Questions to consider

  • Should financial records be public?
  • Is privacy worth avoiding office?

Another view

Vetting is a standard requirement for all high-level candidates.

More from Hillary Clinton

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  3. The Democrats are throwing the election away. For what? An inadequate black male who would not have been running if there had not been a white woman who was ru…

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