>> lucretia clay. from a kentucky family. marriage into that family also gave him entry into a lot of political circles that would have denied him. she brought with that marriage money and they basically had the connections because her family was related to a lot of people and he used those connections to move forward, but he also once he got his foot in the door, key open the door himself through his own skills and his own abilities. >> if henry clay were standing here today, what did he look like, what did he sound like? >> i don't think anybody would sit down with henry clay and not leave without liking henry clay. he was a man not a handsome man. everybody says he was ugly and said his mouth was so large that he couldn't spit properly. he was a man who liked the ladies as they said and somebody at the time said he could kiss them out of one side of his mouth was resting the other side of his mouth. but he could charm you. there was a person that came to henry clay's home and to a party, a room filled with people, room big

clay to washington early on. but around the 1830s was really the last time that lucretia would go with henry clay to washington. she had plenty here on the farm to keep her busy. there were children and grandchildren here to occupy her time. lucretia was not one to heavily enjoy the limelight. she was not heavily into fashion and attention. so she did enjoy the solace ashland provided here. in the later part of henry clay's life, last half, believed he was gone as much as he was home. and some have surmised that henry clay was addicted to travel, which is one thing we probably would all like to do more of. but henry was gone quite frequently to campaign. henry was gone working in washington, really enjoying the program. >> thanks. >> caller: my last name is watkins. gerald watkins. henry clay was my seventh cuss cousin. his grandmother was a sister to my fifth great grandfather. i was real proud of henry clay in that connection. question, the three times he won the nomination, it seems like the timing really was not good for his candidacy. they seemed doomed. was there a presidential election that he could have