And Bingo! We Have The Second Act!
The hot topic in the blogosphere right now is the Drudge report that Hillary! Clinton was thinking about withdrawing from the race. I smelled a Carvillian rat as did many others. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Politico and act 2 of this little political kabuki theater: Poor little Hillary! fighting back the tears.
The question was innocuous:
"As a woman I know it’s hard to get out of the house and get ready," asked Marianne Pernold, a local freelance photographer. "Who does your hair?"
Clinton began by talking about her hair — she has some help — but moved to talk more generally about the campaign.
"It’s not easy, it’s not easy, and I couldn’t do it if I just didn’t passionately believe it was the right thing to do," she said.
"I have so many opportunities for this country. I don’t want to see us all fall back," she said, her voice breaking in the last phrase.
"This is very personal for me," she said to supportive applause from the small gathering, at which she'd been discussing policy around a table for an hour. "It’s not just political, it's not just public — I see what's happening. We have to reverse it."
"Some people think elections are a game — it’s about who’s up and who's down," she said. "It's about our country's future, it's about our kids' future — it's really about all of us together."
"And some of us put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds, and we do it each one of us because we care about our country," she said.
"Some of us are right and some of us are wrong. Some of us are ready and some of us are not. Some of us know what are going to do on day one, and some of us haven’t thought that through enough," she said.
"When we look at the array of problems that we have, and the potential for it really spinning out of control — this is one of the most important elections America's ever faced," she concluded.
The questioner, Pernold, said she'd come to the event "smitten" by Obama, but that she's now torn. "Showing that emotion — I really find it refreshing," she said.
I hate to say I told you so. Heck, no I don't. I told you so. This is theater designed to roll out that poor little me act and act out having emotions. She's now cast herself as the underdog with principles, bravely fighting back tears, who is forced to bear up under crushing odds because her cause is so noble.
Dan Riehl said it best: You have to die before you're reborn. She's baaaaack.
UPDATE: Yep, multiple outlets carrying the same weepy Hillary story all at once. Hillary and Carville had Baron Samedi on hot standby for the revival, baby.
UPDATE: The Anchoress saw the tears coming.
UPDATE: Ariel Alexovich from the New York Times The Caucus blog links (thanks, Ms. Alexovich!) but kind of irks me with this offhand comment:
It’s hard to tell if the blogs are being so hard on Mrs. Clinton because of her sex or her party.
For the record, I do not do identity politics at all here. I would write exactly the same things about any candidate or politician regardless of any particular physical/religious/ethnic/whatever characteristics they might possess. Period. Just as I would support any candidate/politician I agree with without any regard to those characteristics.
Other Links to this Post
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JammieWearingFool — Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 1:21 pm
By McGehee, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 12:50 pm
UPDATE: Yep, multiple outlets carrying the same weepy Hillary story all at once.
I’ve had that same suspicion myself:
It’s a generally reliable rule of thumb to distrust any political analysis that comes from three or more news media outlets simultaneously.
By NortonPete, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 1:14 pm
The weepy footage is everywhere, you called that right.
Oh dear, whats next? Romney crying while holding on to a teary Edwards?
By DavidL, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 1:25 pm
Was Mrs. Clinton told it would be easy?
By Anthony (Los Angeles), Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 1:36 pm
Ugh. This reeks so much of martyrdom that it’s practically made me ill.
By Anthony (Los Angeles), Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 1:38 pm
And what was it Harry Truman said about heat and kitchens? Maybe she should talk to President Muskie.
(Sorry for the double post. I hit “submit” too soon. Ooops…..)
By feeblemind, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 1:46 pm
This does not strike me as a strategy that will play well for very long. The repubs should be salivating and pulling for an HRC comeback with this footage. Who wants a weeping old woman for commander-in-chief??
By Gaius, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 1:52 pm
Oh, I did’t say it would work. It looks like just more cold calculation - and it will likely hurt her in the long run. But I knew something was coming when I read that first piece from earlier this morning.
By chezdiva, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 2:36 pm
Gaius, Great job on staying on top of this story!
I’m shocked, really, the Clinton’s playing theater and now the star of the show is showing emotion- I didn’t believe the Ice Queen could thaw long enough to create wet tears. What an eventful day, can’t wait until polls close tonight and results come in. I’m sure there is more drama to come…
Anyhow, when will the countdown to playing the “I’m a female card” begin? I guess it’s kind of hard when she’s not losing to the stereotypical white male - Edward’s doesn’t count.
The earlier stories of her demise were greatly exaggerated and as I mentioned earlier, most definitely a Media play.
However, as I also said earlier in your other post, I don’t think we should count her out just yet. She really is the only viable candidate on the Left who can attract moderate voters who want someone strong on defense (hawkish). Obama looks nice now but when the novelty wears off and voters start asking themselves who has a better chance in the general election - it’s going to be Hilary.
By Jess, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 3:58 pm
Well, Hillary’s tears don’t seem to be getting her more support, at least not on Fittobepres.com, like she probably hoped it would have. If you haven’t been to the site yet, you should check it out. It has an interesting poll going on where you can rate any candidate and read what others think each candidate’s strength and weakness is. I already gave Hillary bad ratings, so you should too.
By Maggie, Monday, 7 January , 2008 @ 5:01 pm
You know … I really am completely puzzled how Clinton and Co. thought they could actually pull this crap off …
I said it the other day. Anything she does from Iowa on out will be perceived as staged and fake, etc.
Short of Obama being whisked away in one of Kucinich’s UFOs, stick a fork in the Banshee … She’s done.
Hell, even the coveted MSM are pretty much done with her, sans needing her for Obama fodder.
By martian, Tuesday, 8 January , 2008 @ 9:02 am
Everyone is missing the point with this act. Sure, she may get some sympathy votes from her poor little me act, but that’s not what she’s shooting for here. This is a direct ploy to steal female votes back from Obama - and it’s working. Take the response of the questioner who said she’d come to the event “smitten” by Obama, but that she’s now torn. “Showing that emotion — I really find it refreshing,” she said. I saw another news clip where another woman was asked if this had affected her vote and she said she had made up her mind to vote for Obama until she saw this almost (no real tears actually escaped - I doubt she’s capable of that) tearful display and this caused her to change her mind and her vote back to Hillary.
Granted it’s doubtful it will work with any Republican women but it IS likely to resonate with female Dems and possibly some of the “undecided” voters. It came a little late to have much impact in NH but, as the spot is played over and over and over (and over) again, ad nauseum, in the MSM she is very likely to see a bump in the polls from female voters. If so, look for more “highly emotional” episodes from Hillary.
By martian, Tuesday, 8 January , 2008 @ 12:17 pm
The other thing I was wondering was whether the woman who asked the question was one of Hillary’s famous plants? Was this a fern moment?
By Mockin'bird, Tuesday, 8 January , 2008 @ 4:46 pm
We conservatives don’t like Hillary because she is phony, dishonest, claims to have experience when she clearly does not, skirts around important questions repeatedly, “can’t recall”, is a Socialist who, if elected, would take all of our freedoms, our guns, and yes, our money.
It is not because she is a woman.