Posted on 12/17/2007 2:28:58 PM PST by DWar
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, trying to warm up an image some voters perceive as cold, starts a drive Monday to showcase her personal side with testimonials from friends, associates and constituents she has helped.
The online and in-person campaign, complete with a website called TheHillaryIKnow.com, comes a day after Clinton won a key endorsement from The Des Moines Register and her chief rival in the Democratic nomination race, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, was endorsed by The Boston Globe.
The rush of endorsements comes as candidates angle for advantage in Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses and New Hampshire's Jan. 8 primary. Weighing in on Iowa's tight three-way Democratic battle for first place, the Register called Clinton "best prepared to confront the enormous challenges the nation faces."
The Globe, circulated widely in New Hampshire, said Obama has "the leadership skills to reset the country's reputation in the world" and "a healthy independence from the established order" at home. The freshman senator has surpassed Clinton in some Iowa polls and created buzz touring last weekend with Oprah Winfrey.
Clinton had an unfavorable rating of 50% in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll this month, compared with mid-30s for Obama and former North Carolina senator John Edwards. She was rated least friendly of the three in a recent Pew Research Center poll.
Taking steps to fix the problem, Clinton has brought her mother and daughter to Iowa and featured them in TV ads. One of Clinton's constituents, Shannon Mallozzi of East Northport, N.Y., was on her way there Sunday as part of the new campaign. Mallozzi has a 6-year-old daughter with an incurable brain disease called hydrocephalus. As she waited to catch a plane to Des Moines for two days of campaigning, she said she spent a half-hour with Clinton several years ago to describe the disease and ask how to encourage federal research.
"She made me feel like it was just two mothers" talking in her car, Mallozzi said, then worked with her to get action on the disease and checked up on her daughter's health. Mallozzi said she once viewed Clinton as aloof and remote, but "she's anything but that."
Mark Penn, a top Clinton strategist, said that's the message: "It's important for people to understand the depth of Hillary, the way she has helped people."
Citing the Register endorsement, Clinton on Sunday said she's "picking up momentum." Edwards, who got the paper's endorsement in 2004, appeared on three TV talk shows to discuss a rejection he made clear he knew was coming. The Register said Sunday that "his harsh anti-corporate rhetoric would make it difficult to work with the business community to forge change."
"They have a position. I respectfully disagree with it," Edwards said on ABC's This Week.
The Register and USA TODAY are owned by Gannett.
Obama's camp circulated the Globe endorsement and the Register editorial board's published account of its deliberations. One editor said the choice amounted to FDR vs. JFK.
It's unclear how much impact newspaper endorsements have on voters. At the very least, however, they offer candidates the appearance of momentum and something to brag about in ads, press releases and pitches for money.
Perhaps Juanita Broaddrick will change her mind.
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From Sean Hannity’s interview...
JUANITA BROADDRICK: They came in, but just before they did, the driver who’d gone to the airport to pick them up came over to me and said that—he was a local pharmacist in this area and I think he’s relocated down to Fayetteville—but he told me—he said, “The whole topic of conversation from the airport was you and are you going to be there.” He came over to me and said that and I really didn’t know what to think about that.
The minute they came in the door—I’m standing over in the living room area and I see them come through the kitchen area and I see her going up to someone and they’re pointing at me and I see him go the opposite direction. I assumed when they came in if I was still there that he might come up and say something.
But she made her way just as quick as she could to me. I almost got nauseous when she came over to me.
She came over to me, took ahold of my hand and said, “I’ve heard so much about you and I’ve been dying to meet you,” or “been wanting to meet you.” I can’t—I’m just paraphrasing—and she said, “I just want you to know how much that Bill and I appreciate what you do for him.”
And I said, “Thank you” and started to turn and walk away.
This woman, this little, soft-spoken—pardon me for the phrase—dowdy woman that would seem unassertive, took ahold of my hand and squeezed it and said, “Do you understand? Everything that you do.”
I could have passed out at that moment and I got my hand from hers and I left. She was just holding onto my hand. Because I had started to turn away from her and she held onto my hand and she said, “Do you understand? EVERYTHING that you do,” cold chills went up my spine.
That’s the first time I became afraid of that woman.
SEAN HANNITY: Do you interpret that to mean that she knew about the incident?
JUANITA BROADDRICK: I certainly do. and thank you for keeping quiet.
Man—that’s gonna be SOME kind of “Extreme Makeover”. Hitlery has all the charisma of a brick (and that is an insult to the brick).
| You are 87% likeable | |
| You are a very likeable person. You have good manners and you are very friendly. You have tons of friends and no enemies. | |
| 'How Likeable are You?' at QuizGalaxy.com |
Here is her softer image. The story about sick kids in the hospital that will not be forgotten - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1940887/posts?page=1
Ewwww! My Eyes!
LLS
Also post #61
Trying to make Hillary warm hearted is hopeless. Talk about an oxymoron.
And it doesn't have to do with politics. Reagan was very much liked as a person, even if liberals hated his policies. I remember seeing Charles Grodin get teary eyed talking about RR, even though Grodin is about as leftist as you can get. I think someone like Tom Hanks is very likeable, even if his politics suck.
I'm interested that B. Hussein Obama is too fearful of Mrs. Clinton to discuss the real duplicity and corruption that is the Clintons.
Weakling.
I agree, well stated.
She was very likable to Elian Gonzales. Her and Janet Reno are very warm people.
Pray for W and Our Victorious Troops
So is Kathleen Willey (whose new book is a must read, BTW.)
Interesting that the alleged "feminist" Hillary is really the cynically calculating enabler of such a ruthless abuser of women.
Now there’s a hopeless task if ever I saw one.
Excellent post.
The question for Mark Penn is how capable is the media of "spinning" hay into gold, making a sow's ear into a silk purse. Repackaging Hillary is what they are doing (talk about "change")...and it would be easier to market smog than this woman.
yikes.
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