My time as an intern for Hillary Clinton: Day 1 “Calendars and Cocaine”

When I first found out that there was an opening for an internship position with Hillary Clinton, I never even considered applying for the job. Having met Hillary several times before through my dad’s co-worker, who’s wife works as one of Mrs. Clinton’s closest campaign advisors, I always considered her this kind of untouchable woman due to her demeanor and intelligence. But having just graduated from Columbia University with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science, I actually realized I may be qualified.

So the uneventful course of events that followed included me sending in my resume, then being sent back an application form that essentially made me assure them I had never done drugs or been convicted of a crime, but also included a few essays on why I wanted to work with Hillary. Having never touched a drug in my life, the first part of the application was a breeze. Then I wrote an essay on how Hillary Clinton might be the only politician that has had to work hard to prove herself as a competent politician, considering she’s a woman in a male-dominated political scene.

Skip ahead a little and I had gotten the job and was to follow Hillary and her posse of campaigners and advisers around for 3 months.

I flew from Dallas, TX to New York City and had to take a cab over to a fancy, modern but way-too compact hotel called On The Ave over near 72nd st and 6th ave. Three of the floors had been converted into a buzzing, energetic campaign headquarters for the time that Hillary was to be in New York. Somebody saw my look of confusion in the busy lobby, grabbed me by the arm and took me upstairs.

In the elevator I found out her name was Margaret. She was dressed in a conservative business suit and looking straight up at the numbers as they slowly climbed from 1 to 8. Finally, she looked at me and said “Are you a transfer or a newbie?”

Before I got to answer she told me that I was a newbie. Then she apologized for being so weird, but if I had to think about it I must be a newbie. She said I’m going to think a hundred times faster by the end of the day - it’s the only way to survive.

I put my bags down in what I was told was to be my room, but really was one of two beds shoved against a wall to make space for desks equipped with constantly ringing telephones, sleek new computers and robotic humanoids manning it all, each of which seemed to be superhuman in their efficiency and energy.

Before I knew it, I was grabbed by the arm and dragged out into the hall by Margaret. By instinct I had reached for my notebook before I left the room and pulled a pen from my jacket. This was a result of my instinct kicking in that told me this was a sink or swim environment and there’s no lifeguard here to save you. Lord am I glad that I took that notebook because as we were walking down the hallway, discussing the duties of the day, Hillary herself walked right past, bidding us to follow her as she dictated some important tasks.

“You need to get on the phone with Tom and ask him if we still have the support of the board of trustees because if not, then we are going to have to look elsewhere for the money.”

Even though this was not being directed towards me, I took notes. After going over several complicated tasks, Hillary stopped and looked at me. Margaret took the opportunity to introduce us.

“Mrs. Clinton, this is Ben Goldman. Ben, I hardly need to introduce you.”

Hillary stuck out her hand and said “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ben. You look like a very nice, young man. I’m sure you’ll be a great addition to the team.”

I sheepishly told her how much I admire her and promised I’d do my best to do everything I can. We had a brief conversation about where she knows me from before disappearing around the corner, dictating to another campaign adviser as she went.

The rest of my day ended up being just as fast-paced as my first few minutes. Within 8 hours, I ended up traveling across the Manhattan island 6 times to get various documents signed by various people. And when the day approached rush hour, I was forced twice from my taxi cab to run on foot. In addition to my travels, I drafted over 20 pages of documentation and had to proofread over 120 more. I had to sit in on and takes notes in two different meetings with Hillary Clinton and some of her staff, picking up loose ends and memorizing tasks.

Suffice it to say, it was the busiest day of my life. I had no idea how it would be possible to keep this pace going for three months. But I’d soon find out how others did.

After dinner, I met with some of the other interns in the hotel bar for a drink before getting back to work. Over our various alcoholic beverages, we discussed the orders of the day but tried to also force some small talk in. I found out one of the interns had as John Kerry’s right-hand man and that the reason John Edwards wouldn’t take him is because he considered the kid bad luck and said this to him outright:

“I will never forget what he said, and I had no idea somebody so important could be so stupid - I’m sorry, so superstitious - but he really said to me ‘Jason, I got nothing against you but it just wouldn’t be the smart thing to do to take someone who’s already experienced a loss like the one in ‘04.’ I said that it couldn’t be as bad as he’d lose in ‘08, so what does he have to lose?” I laughed at this, mostly because I had a slight buzz but also because it was really fascinating being so close to people that, for all intents and purposes, run the country. In a way I’m making history, I remember thinking.

I’m making a difference.

But the good times come and go too fast to soak em up and so it seemed that just as we sat down at the bar, we had to stand up and go back to work - an idea that made me cringe.

Then one of the friends I made asked me if I wanted a “bump” and without having any idea what it was, I followed him into a utility closet on the first floor.

He locked the door and took out some white powder which I immediately knew to be cocaine. Having never done or even really been around drugs before, I freaked out and asked him how he could do something so clearly illegal. God, I was so ignorant. I am still embarassed at how innocent I tried to present myself as that first night - ranting on about upholding the constitution and protecting the law.

The truth is, I was just scared and it took me all of two minutes to let out the hot air in my head enough to do some coke. I immediately realized that it was one of the best decisions of my life. The rest of the night flew by and the work got done, and that’s the most important thing in the end - whether or not you get it done.

I crashed that night with a little bit of hope that I could get through the 3 months knowing that there was always an emergency “kit” in case things got too tense. And I know some of you might think worse of us for doing drugs on the job like that, especially working for such an esteemed politician, but you need to understand a few things: the first is that the other politician’s aids do just as much of these things as we do and two: you have no idea what it is like working in a “tornado,” which is the nickname we give to the HQ. So I’m not asking people to condone what we do but I am asking that you try to understand it.

Anyway, my first day concluded with a meeting with Hillary Clinton. It was just me, her and Margaret in some random office as we cooled off and prepared for the next day.

“Bill’s not answering his phone again,” Hillary said as she sighs and flips her cell phone closed. Though Bill Clinton almost never used his cellphone, Hillary always got mad at him when he didn’t answer even though a repeat of the Lewinsky scandal would be impossible after how much closer the White House watches Bill. But I can sympathize with Hillary and I understand why she might be frustrated - she was cheated on in front of the whole country afterall.

“Margaret do I have lunch tomorrow?” Hillary asks. Margaret looks through her scheduler and says “No.”

“Good. Schedule me a conference with Bill.”

I later found out that a conference is one of the ways that Hillary and Bill stay together even when they’re so far apart - they have literal webcam lunches. Though it sounds crazy, they both gather at a table opposite a computer monitor that is outfitted with a webcam and they talk about personal things that have been bothering each other. At first it seems kind of weird but the idea actually cozies up to you after a while as kind of cute.

So Margaret schedules a conference lunch and I retired to my room. As I lay my head down on the pillow while one humanoid (who I later found out is a University of Chicago student named Ted) tries working quietly at one of the desks in my room, I feel both scared and confident. I want this both to end and last forever. I want to think about the future too but before I can even get there, I’m fast asleep.

WRITTEN BY BEN GOLDMAN
Inspired by my true experiences as an intern this summer for Hillary Clinton’s campaign trail
Most names have been changed for privacy sake
Everything else is completely true

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