Friends and associates of Hillary Clinton often describe her as warm and humorous in private, which often clashes with the image the public has of her.

Clinton’s friends say she is actually warm, considerate and engaging in person, at least with people she gets along with. And there is something to this claim. I covered her for eight years as part of the White House beat, and I covered her again as an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2008. And when I got to spend time with her, I learned that she could be fascinating and fun; she has a sense of humor and enjoys having a good time.