Hillary Clinton Psychoanalyzes Vladimir Putin

Credit: Timothy J. Gonzalez/Statesman Journal/AP Photo

Russian President Vladimir Putin may have a buff physique, but former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sees right through it.

During a Q&A at a marketing summit in California today, Clinton gave a deep read on Putin's personality, and compared the encounters she's had with him to those she's experienced on an elementary school playground.

"I have had my personal experiences with him," she said, when answering a question about Putin and the recent situation in Crimea. "He's a fascinating guy. Obviously he is determined."

Clinton then proceeded to dissect his psyche.

"He is very difficult to read personally," she said. "He is always looking for advantage. So he will try to put you ill at ease. He will even throw an insult your way. He will look bored and dismissive. He'll do all of that."

But Clinton said she was never fazed.

"I have a lot of experience with people acting like that," she quipped. "Go back to elementary school. I've seen all of that, so I'm not impressed by it."

Clinton made the comments during her first leg of a jam-packed, four-day long speaking tour through the West Coast at Marketo's Marketing Nation Summit in San Francisco.

During her speech and the following Q&A, with Marketo CEO Phil Fernandez, Clinton spoke on issues including technology, immigration, income inequality, and advancement for women in the workplace.

The event wrapped up with the inevitable question about 2016. But when asked if she plans to run for president, Clinton gave no more of an indication that she had made a decision either way. She said that she is still thinking about it, and that she is "going to continue to think about it for a while."

Even Clinton, however, admitted she's become an expert at dodging the question.

"I danced around that pretty well, don't you think?" she remarked with a smile.