Play Misty for Me

The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 10, 2008 | Editorial

[Aristotelian]

So, to a political career marked by the "pretty in pink" cattle-futures press conference, and the "vast right-wing conspiracy" strategy to save her husband from impeachment, we can now add the legend of the falling tears. Everyone in politics seems to agree that Hillary Clinton saved her candidacy by tearing up ever so briefly on Monday as she responded to a question about the travails of campaigning.

Barack Obama's team believes it, judging from the comment by an anonymous adviser to Politico.com that, "there is no other reason we can see. Every poll showed us even with Clinton with women, and then we lose women to her. There was a big gender gap that didn't show up until yesterday." Mrs. Clinton also credits her misty moment, telling the CBS "Early Show" yesterday that "I had this incredible moment of connection with the voters of New Hampshire, and they saw it and they heard it."

The only real debate seems to be whether she was sincere, or cynical, in her emotional outreach. Readers can make up their own minds, though we'd note from watching the video that it took no more than a few seconds for her to pivot from dewy reflection to an attack line on Mr. Obama. And her latest fund-raising pitch, arriving right on time yesterday, says that "you and I have to keep speaking from the heart." Whatever else you can say about Mrs. Clinton, she's no political amateur.

[Aristotelian]

The "real reason" for Clinton's victory is that her campaign's attacks on Obama "began to sink in," the Journal says.

I tend to agree. Obama can't get away from his inexperience. He's now in the middle of his first term as a U.S. Senator. That's not much seasoning. And it shows. His speeches are platitudinous. His proposals are simplistic and naive. And he has no institutional memory to check himself. An Obama presidency would be all on-the-job training. And even Democratic voters are worried about that.

Bottom line: Hillary could pull this out yet.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Bah. They needed a reason to jump ship and abandon Obama. Any reason she gave them, would suffice. Anything so as not to seem racist.

[Ronin]

I have always thought the Clinton would tolerate Obama and be as nice as can be, as long as he was not showing a serious threat. But she’s in this to win, she knows how the game is played, and she will fight as dirty as it takes.

She may not have much in the way of actual experience governing, but she understands campaigning and whatever you may think about Bill, he is an expert in that line.

I was hoping she would be knocked out in Hew Hampshire, but that was just wishful thinking.

[sinanju]

“The Clintons are onto something in an election year when even antiwar Democrats understand they will be electing a President in wartime. Mr. Obama is a neophyte on national security, and it often shows. That’s a better explanation for the gaping generation gap in Tuesday’s vote: The two candidates broke even among voters age 18-64, but Mrs. Clinton won among seniors 48% to 32%, according to the exit polls. It also better explains the gender gap. Women and seniors tend to care more about security and seasoning than do the young.”

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That may be it, too many Dem voters will have second thoughts about his airy-fairy rhetoric and how his Willy Wonka worldview will play out in the cold, cruel world between now and November.

Just how thirty-five years of “fighting for children and families” makes her more qualified is beyond me, however. I fail to see how guys named Mahmoud, Bashar, Hugo and Kim will be impressed Hillary’s social worker credentials.

[PGalt]

The chameleon has characteristics of the psycho in “Play Misty for Me”...as movie dj Clint cues up another song for the early morning audience...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOA4ixV-3jU&feature=related

[randita]

We suspect the real reason for Senator Clinton's victory is that her campaign's attacks on Mr. Obama began to sink in with voters.

It's possible, but "sink in" implies something of a slow process, while Clinton turned that race around in a matter of hours. Even polling done late Monday night still showed Obama with a substantial lead.