Posted on 12/02/2015 4:30:32 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Allies of Hillary Clinton are confident she will win the Democratic presidential nomination, but they are worried about one big thing: her likability problem in the general election.
Clinton has rebounded from a rough spring and summer with a strong fall. And while her eyes remain on the primary, she is already testing general election themes against her possible GOP opponents as they do battle in what could be a drawn-out Republican primary.
Presidential elections are often decided on personality instead of specific policies. Along those lines, people in Clinton's orbit are worried she doesn't pass the would-you-like-to-have-a-beer-with-her test.
It's a test she failed against then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in 2008. Throughout that cycle, Clinton stressed her "35 years of experience" while Obama pitched his "hope and change" message.
The likability test came up often on the campaign trail, most notably in the last New Hampshire debate that year when Clinton acknowledged Obama is "very likable."
In a quip that may have cost him New Hampshire, Obama responded, "You're likable enough, Hillary."
Head-to-head 2016 matchups suggest vulnerabilities for Clinton, particularly against Sen. Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican who often talks about his love of professional football.
"Her challenge remains the same as it always has been - show voters who she is and reveal the person beneath the candidate," said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public policy at Princeton University. "To win people's trust and to generate enthusiasm, she has to let some of her character come out."
"She has so many qualifications: experience, knowledge, partisan skill," Zelizer said, adding that the likability factor "is what she needs to work on."
Team Clinton spent a good part of 2015 highlighting the former first lady's personality, which they call warm and effusive. Clinton aides, longtime confidants and friends have always maintained she is charming and funny, at least behind the scenes and out of the public spotlight.
But they say after years of public service - and attacks by her political opponents - she's hesitant to let that side show.
Since Labor Day, after a New York Times story reported that Clinton would show more "humor and heart," the candidate has made a concerted effort to highlight her lighter side.
Since then, she appeared on "Saturday Night Live" as a bartender named Val, allowed "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon to pull on her hair playfully and sat down with Lena Dunham of "Girls" fame. During those interviews and others, the former secretary of State came across as a yoga-loving woman who loves to go for long walks and keeps up with the Kardashians.
Those efforts may have helped. A Bloomberg poll released late last month showed that her likability has gone up among Democrats from 23 percent in September to 31 percent. A Clinton aide said Tuesday she has always been "remarkably durable" among Democrats.
However, Democratic strategists and even those Clinton loyalists say it's the unplanned moments that have worked best for her.
In emails released by the State Department this year, including a new batch this week, voters got to know about Clinton's favorite shows and that she was trying to learn how to use emojis.
"Ironically, she's done well - maybe best - when she's not controlling the message," said a Democratic strategist who spoke on background. "Some of the most humanizing moments of the campaign have come from emails showing Clinton as a tea-drinking, yoga-practicing devoted watcher of 'The Good Wife' and 'Homeland.'"
"The carefully crafted moments to 'let Hillary be Hillary' almost always backfire," the strategist said.
In the wake of the Paris attacks last month, Clinton has shown that she is one of the few candidates with hands-on foreign policy experience because of her time at the State Department. While she has come under criticism for events such as the Benghazi attack, Team Clinton has used her tenure at Foggy Bottom to show her commanding grasp of matters around the globe.
Yet, Clinton allies fear that she has other weaknesses as well, particularly her lack of an overarching message.
"If the message they're homing in on is the 'fighter for the middle class,' it would help if they were more explicit about it," said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons.
Clinton advisers believe she'll get there, particularly in a general election when she will be challenged more than she has been in the Democratic primary.
In the meantime, Clinton's likability factor is generating headlines. The Washington Post on Tuesday published a Zignal Labs word cloud that highlighted Clinton-related mentions on social media in November. The top words included "unethical," "lies" and "corruption," something Republicans highlighted right after its release.
"After all the campaign resets, carefully staged events and millions poured into TV ads, Hillary Clinton still finds herself disliked and not trusted by the American people," said Jeff Bechdel, the communications director for America Rising, a Republican super-PAC. "That won't change as long as new stories continue to emerge that raise questions about her private emails, questionable judgment and failed leadership."
Thomas Nides, who served as deputy secretary of State under Clinton and is an informal adviser, said Republicans have "a hard time fighting her on substance, strength, confidence and discipline," so questions about likability is "what they go to."
"That's not a successful strategy," Nides said. "The more people get to know Hillary Clinton, the more they see her, the more visible she is, the more they like her."
Nides added Clinton has had a "spectacular three months, arguably had a rougher middle of the year, but the campaign is in a very, very good place."
"I'd rather be her than anyone else," he said.
DEBATE QUESTION FOR HILLARY: When was the last time you had a quickie with Bill?
FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: Did his mistresses mind?
Hillary has sold her humanity and soul for personal gain
Reptiles are warmer than her
More like AIDS with stage three syphilis advanced to the brain, but I'll go with herpes for a starter.
I wish both klintoons had every std known and unknown and were terminal, oh, Merry Christmas, hildabutchbitch.
Viagra Plus is the new pill that actually grows breasts on an erect penis....
to double the pleasure, double the fun (/snix)
Donors to Hillary get a free Viagra Plus pill....in several dosages.
$10,000 donation gets 34B.
$25,000 donations gets 36C.
$100,000 donation gets 42DD.
Hollywood hotshots are standing in line w/ their checkbooks as we type.
Shrillary seems like an easy target, but the Clinton slime machine should never be underestimated. They’ll live down in the mud for as long as it takes to destroy their opponents.
Hillary isn’t looking for love. She’s looking for commitments from state reps who will pick the nominees. She’s totally a behind the scenes worker. Scr** the people.
It’s about delegates....not the people.
Last time we elected someone on the basis of their status in social terms, like the first black man, we ended up with what we have now. A woman just for the sake of electing a woman in the case of Hillary could be just as disastrous.
Foirnia is another matter, and she is worthy, but if you look at all the negative political history of Hillary, and her present legal problems, and total lack of positive results in any of it, it is clear where her potential administration is headed. And it will be epic. (To the detriment of our once great nation)
Hillary is all the way up to 31% likeability among Democrats. These are people who would vote for Charles Manson if he was the Democrat nominee.
Hillaryous (we came) Rotten (we saw) Criminal (he died), Sociopath of State not liked? Who’da thunk it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgcd1ghag5Y
ISIS is tightening its grip in Libya
Islamic State (IS) has gained control over swathes of territory, committing gross abuses including public summary executions of individuals based on their religion or political allegianceâ€
http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-is-tightening-its-grip-in-libya-2015-11
No, her problems range from Whitewater to a string of dead bodies, to enabling a philandering husband and serial abuser of women, to a terrorist sympathizing lover/assistant, to an absolutely dismal stint as SoS, to a dead Ambassador, to lies, lies, damn lies, and more lies.
Likability? {snort} Just the fact that they (libtards) are worried about it shows how idiotic they themselves are. Apparently libtards actually count likability as an important attribute for a CinC. Me, I don't particularly care about "likability" - I'd rather they be qualified for the job, capable, and intelligent. I don't like Mr. Trump. He doesn't seem like the kind of person that, if we ran in the same circles, I would call friend. Ditto Mr. Cruz, a little too intense for me - as a friend. But some of these very qualities that would give me pause in the friendship area are the very ones I look for in a leader. Liberals? Apparently they just want someone in there they can feel good about and like, no matter how badly they {expletive}-up the job and the Nation.
To be fair to Hillary, Bill has a very low bar, he prefers anything female that could be reasonably induced to stand (or kneel) still for a few minutes.
These people crack me up. Likeability??? I know Democrats(!) that won’t vote for her.
What does she need to work on? Try honesty....the whole country sees it.
Hillary is a dirty fingernail eternally screeching on the blackboard of life.
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Bill and Hillary Clinton are the penicillin-resistant syphilis of our political system.
The only likeable thing about Hillary is when she does not show herself or talk on TV.
The fundamental problem the Democrat Party faces is that Hillary, with the acquiescence of the administration, has squelched any legitimate opposition within the party. Sanders, who has some legitimate grass roots support, is shut out of the party oligarchy. It is Hillary’s turn to be the nominee, let it be written, let it be done.
This complicates their prospects for the general election. The incompetence of the administration and the government in general has stoked a desire for real change, in response, the Democrat party will nominate the consummate insider, an unrivaled machine politician.
Even if the GOP does not nominate Trump (who regardless of how people feel about him, taps into Dem constituencies) The Democrat party will find it hard to get anyone but their establishment base to be enthusiastic about her. The true believing Socialists/Occupy crowd distrust Hillary almost as much as Conservatives do.
Her “likability” issues are only part of her problem.
Hillary Clinton has a likeability problem the Rosie O’Donnell has a seductiveness problem.
Hillary’s criminal behavior goes all the way back to the Watergate committee, and she has been under one criminal
investigation or another since she was 28 years old. Over 40 years of being under constant criminal investigation.
STB you’re on fire with your posts!
#victimsofjihadmatter
“#victimsofjihadmatter”
Obama will call it PPV
Party-Place Violence.
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