Hillary's Media Blitz
Yesterday, Hillary Clinton was the guest on This Week, Meet The Press, and Fox News Sunday. I have to start by respecting her ability to complete this mental workout. These are three shark tanks and it would be tough to have to jump into all three within the same day. The Stephanopoulos interview focused on her efforts as first lady and used a lot of footage from the 1990's. It allowed her to focus on what she learned in her first go round. Whenever I watch Stephanopoulos interview a Clinton, particularly Hillary, I notice this tension. It was an awkward interview and not very revealing.Russert opened with her time in the Senate, and then hit the 1990's. The questions were brilliant. Russert knows how to prepare for interviews and when he is on his game it is awesome to watch. Here was my favorite question from Russert:
MR. RUSSERT: Senator, before you go, answer a question I've heard from Democrats as I travel around the country, and that is they like Senator Clinton, they respect Senator Clinton, but they're afraid that she's too polarizing, that her negatives in the national polls are in the high 40s, the highest of any Democratic candidate. And that she would be incapable of uniting the country behind healthcare, behind withdrawal from Iraq, because she just is too divisive.Hillary's full answer is posted in the comments. Russert hit the nail on the head with this question. I am one of those Democrats who is afraid she is too polarizing. Read her response to this important question and share your thoughts.
By Kyle - 9/24/2007
13 Comments:
SEN. CLINTON: Well, Tim, those are the things that were said about me in New York, as I'm sure you remember. And I worked very hard to give people accurate information about who I am, what I stand for, what I will do, and I was extremely gratified to win in 2000 and even more so to be re-elected with nearly 67 percent of the vote. And I was very pleased that a lot of that vote came from Republicans and independents. You know, I carried a lot of those counties that George Bush had carried just two years before, carried 58 of New York's 62 counties and, as you know, there're a lot of red parts of New York.
Because I think it's important that you look at how I have sought common ground and found it in the Senate. I also have stood my ground against things that I did not approve of, like privatizing Social Security. As I've traveled around the country, my support has grown. Anyone who gets the Democratic nomination is going to be subjected to the withering attacks that come from the other side. I think I've proven that I not only can survive them but surpass them.
So I believe that, both from the experience that I’ve had in political campaigns and what I have done over the years to, you know, keep coming back and fighting back, I'm the best positioned to win, but more importantly, I think I am in the best position to lead starting January 2009. I'm doing well around the country, and I'm very pleased that people are really making up their own minds about me and not, you know, by being swayed by what second- or third-hand somebody said to them, and I believe that's what will happen in this campaign. And as I go forward in it every day, I'm even more encouraged that I'm putting together a winning campaign not only for the nomination, but for the White House, because that's when the hard work starts. We have a lot ahead of us to restore our position in the world, to rebuild our economy and our American middle class and to reform our government and to reclaim the future for our children. And that's what I'm committed to doing.
Kyle-
At one point even a few months ago, I would've agreed with Russert's comment/questions, but as of late I think I agree wiht what Hillary said here - that the actions she has taken have really worked to establish at least in my mind what she is after and what she stands for, and has made her seem a much less polarizing figure in my mind. In fact, I would go as far to say, that from where I sit, I have seen and heard Hillary do a lot more in the last couple months to make me want to vote for her as opposed to what I have seen and heard from the Obama campaign.
I think her campaign has done an excellent job as of late in putting her in a position not only to win the primary, but more importantly for her, the general election as well.
good to see Magic on board
Mike D, I'm somewhat conflicted because I agree with you that Hillary has run a great campaign over the past couple of months and the polling that consistently shows her ahead by at least 10%-15% in the primaries is proof. She is a well marketed product.
I've been asked more frequently about the Clinton / Obama ticket. Some people view it as inevitable. Maybe it is. I just hope the Obama campaign has a plan to fight in the next couple of months. The longer Obama waits to make his move the more solif Hillary's front runner status becomes.
Ben, I saw Magic endorsed Hillary on her Flickr page. I thought it was an odd endorsement.
Kyle, you shouldn't buy into the myth of her being too polarizing. She is a moderate, and people that don't like her are basing their opinion on nonsense.
I watched ABC This Week. On the roundtable, David Brooks, a clear conservative, spoke of how she seems very presidential and how she is the moderate the Democrats need.
I have issues with Hillary, but it is not the polarizing thing. That is a total exageration. A huge chunk of her negative numbers come from Democrats that don't like her.
As long as she doesn't have Magic speak on her behalf for more than 5-15 minutes she seems like the inevitbale lock to me as the Dem candidate at this point.
I'm now starting to view Hillary's eventual nominiation much the same as the seven stages of
death or grief:
Disbelief.
Denial.
Bargaining
Guilt
Anger
Depression
Acceptance and Hope
Based on some of the comments it looks as though some of us have reached the final stage.
My seven Hilary stages:
Disbelief.
Denial.
Bargaining.
Guilt.
Anger.
Depression.
Puking in own mouth.
I'm with Bob.
I'm pretty sure the acceptance and hope stage is going to require copious amounts of morphine.
Barack Obama is the best candidate for the job and its unfortunate a lot of Americans don't want to vote for him because he's black.
I'm a Democrat and I fear Hillary can't get elected because let's face it, she is hated by probably all the Republicans.
I don't know what the future holds, but it looks like the Dems are going to nominate Hillary because they are fooled to think she has the better shot.
She can get nominated and she also can get elected president.She can also carry the women vote.
Not sure exactly why, but I just have this somber 100 yard stare ambivalence about the next election...and have no true expectations.
Still think that Edwards is one of the best choices.
Agree that Hillary is putting forward a clear picture- but as with all contemporaries, this is mostly meaningless in the election process
Who knows - should she win and we have "first Man" Wild Bill in the whitehouse --- maybe they have a born again Mission from God experience and actually DO some good for the Nation.
til then follow the money
I'm excited about Hillary being our next president.
I'd be happy with Obama or Edwards too, but I really would feel very good about having a solid woman like Hillary be president. It would mean so much for women in this country. I have daughters and would love to have a woman president role model for them.
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