Pretty much everyone enjoys a little bit of television. This staple of entertainment rarely leaves anyone untouched by its potential brilliance, and even the busiest people find time to get addicted to one show or another. And now we know which shows presidential candidate Hillary Clinton likes to watch in her spare time.
We have a lot of them, and we finally finished House of Cards. It took a while, because we were slow-going… I do like Madame Secretary. I do, actually. I watch Madame Secretary and I watch Good Wife.
Hillary Clinton relayed this tidbit while on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night. The most interesting thing about the shows she prefers is how completely in line with her life they are. You’d think that someone who’s constantly embroiled in the tricky politics of American life would want to get away from all that when they watch TV, but not Clinton, apparently. She just throws herself right back in the deep end when she sits in front of her television set.
The two-time presidential candidate has developed quite a "love her or leave her" reputation in political circles and with voters. Hillary Clinton’s time in various offices haven’t been completely filled with controversy, but the occasional hullabaloo has made her, like many a politician before and (I’m sure) after her, a favorite among political gossipers.
Her favorite shows are just perfect for someone with this kind of life. There is something to be said for enjoying the kind of TV you can really pick apart and get into because you know the world of those shows so well. It’s the same reason a lot of nerdy guys like The Big Bang Theory and comic book aficionados dig shows like Gotham and Arrow.
Of course, there’s also the fact that Hillary Clinton’s favorite shows are popular with tons of other people, even those who don’t know nearly as much about the inner working of Washington, or politics in general, as she does. House of Cards is a Netflix hit that focuses on a ruthless political schemer and the people who aid him or stand in his way. This was one of the shows that set off the era of original TV shows for streaming networks.
The Good Wife is another critical success that’s also widely loved by viewers. The series, which just entered it’s seventh season, is a legal and political drama that follows the life of a woman who returns to her career after enduring a very public political scandal with her husband. Hmmm, what does that sound like?
While it’s no great surprise that Hillary Clinton is a fan of these shows, perhaps the most obvious one is Madame Secretary. Since Clinton was herself Secretary of State from early 2009 until early 2013, she certainly gets all the ins and outs of a show like this.
You can hear Hillary Clinton talk about TV below.
I can imagine that all her favorites feed her in a way few of us can relate to. And if that’s not something to look for in a TV show, I don’t know what is.
