Obama's Power Players: Hillary Clinton's Resilience Translates to Influence

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign cost a year and a half, $212 million in campaign donations (including $11 million of her own cash), and, at least once, tears. But just weeks after the race came to its close, she was speaking at the Democratic National Convention, whipping up support for Barack Obama. "We are Americans," she told the crowd. "We're not big on quitting."

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And neither is she. But her dogged pursuit of her goals is underpinned by an adaptability that has seen her through more career changes than most could dream of. This has allowed her to pivot from Obama's rival to his secretary of state, what's likely to be her most powerful role in Washington yet.

Clinton's national career began when her husband became president, but her success has deeper roots. As a Wellesley College student, Clinton—then president of the Young Republicans—turned heads, earning recognition from Life magazine for her 1969 commencement speech. She followed a Yale Law degree with working for the House Judiciary Committee's special counsel on Richard Nixon's impeachment, chairing the Legal Services Corp., and becoming the first female partner at a prestigious Arkansas law firm.

As first lady, her potential as a political powerhouse became apparent. Shortly after becoming head consultant to the 1996 campaign, for example, Mark Penn learned whom he really had to contend with. First, President Bill Clinton quizzed him on how he would respond to Republican attacks. "I passed his test," Penn says. "Then I went to the real test"—Hillary. Her position also gave her a public platform for passions like healthcare reform. The president made her head of a task force on the issue. Her efforts flopped, a setback that she says created "scars." She touted it on the campaign trail as an experience that taught her how to do it right in the future.

"Everyone has disappointments," says Mickey Kantor, who was commerce secretary in the Clinton administration and has been a friend to the Clintons for more than 30 years. "The question is, do we get back onto the playing field and continue to fight for what we believe in? And the answer for Hillary is, absolutely, a ringing 'Yes.' " Clinton never stopped pressing for an overhaul of the healthcare system. Even the bruising she endured during the Monica Lewinsky scandal didn't keep Clinton from running for office when a Senate seat opened up in New York.

Some wondered if that resilience would extend to being able to work with Obama after losing the nomination. But from her stumping for Obama to becoming his secretary of state, she has shown that her resilience is more than just a personality trait. It's power.