Politico: Clinton hits turbulence

[Omaha Steve]

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=58D0F827-3048-5C12-009226CF4C58F7A0

By: Mike Allen and John F. Harris
October 1, 2007 05:18 PM EST

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) last week flew into a sudden burst of media wind shear. After months of mostly rosy portrayals of her campaign’s political skill, discipline and inevitability, the storyline shifted abruptly to evasive answers, shady connections and a laugh that sounded like it was programmed by computer.

Clinton’s campaign attributed the change of weather to the vagrant attention span of the national news media, combined with the professional interest of reporters and analysts in ensuring a competitive race for the Democratic nomination.

But the intensity and sharp personal edge of much of the commentary was a reminder of a thread in American political culture reaching back to the early 1990s: the deep and mutual skepticism between the Clintons and the elite media.

Hillary Clinton, like her husband, can take solace in the fact she has survived and prospered amid peevish coverage from New York and Washington news organizations — stories that often echo the buzz in social circles in both cities.

This week’s stories, however, all in various ways highlighted what her strategists and independent analysts have recognized as a genuine challenge for her in 2008: overcoming perceptions that she is a politician so infused with ambition and artifice that she can not connect with ordinary voters.

The New York Times ran a Sunday story about what it called “the Cackle” — it is actually closer to a guffaw — suggesting that it is the senator’s technique for disarming persistent questioners.


FULL story at link.

[PDittie]

1. I don't want Clinton to be the nominee

She's too conservative for my taste, and she's far too beholden to the corporate POV, and yes, she is going to be toxic to every other Democrat on the ballot with her, particularly throughout the South.

And I thought her laugh was fake and forced when I heard it several times last week, as she made the rounds of the Sunday Morning Talking Heads. If it makes other people feel like I do -- a little uncomfortable with the phoniness -- then she may have a real problem.

Emphasis on May.

I think it's right on the border of misogyny, though, to call her laugh a cackle. See, witches cackle. As we move toward Halloween, it's inevitable now that we're going to see some little kids (and some not-so-little ones) dressed up as Hillary the Witch, pointy hat and broom, cackling. That's fine.

But I really don't want to see the pundits start to pull out words like 'cackle', because words like 'bitch' soon follow. And worse. That's not even safe ground for the Faux News pimps.

I'm calling bullshit if that tries to become the meme.

[Peregrine Took]

2. Me, either! When she "brayed" at Mike Gravels' ernest comments directed to

her the other night at the debate she looked arrogant and nasty and mean.

She should have shown him the utmost respect and honored his question with an honest answer - even if it looked like she had "done wrong" and was thinking better of it.

I don't see her as much of an improvement over Bush, frankly.

[Frances]

3. I get REALLY angry when people use words like

cackle and brayed about any woman.

I hate sterotyping any woman.

I also think that anyone who sees no difference between Bush and Hillary must be a Bushbot.

[sandnsea]

5. I get REALLY angry when people assume women shouldn't be criticized

I sure as hell have NEVER heard "brayed" associated with women.

You guys have really got to stop pretending every criticism against Hillary has to do with her sex.

She is laughing in people's faces when she is faced with a tough question - how the laugh sounds is not relevant.

[Frances]

9. I don't know how old you are, but

I remember when most comedians had mother-in-law jokes as well as nagging wife jokes.

Saying that either a man or a woman "cackles" or "brays" is demeaning. But to say that a woman cackles and brays is not only demeaning, it also reinforces a sterotype that should have died long ago.

It grates on me the same way that saying African Americans like to eat watermelon grates on me.

[jillan]

12. I really hate it when someone is critized and right away

they turn that criticism into a racist remark.

I worked with a guy like that. He was hispanic, but more important than that, he was a slacker. Everytime someone said something to him, he did the poor me - they don't like me bit.

It is a cop-out.
And not being able to critize Hillary because she is a woman - is also a cop out.
If she can't take it, then she should not run for the highest office.

[Frances]

13. I don't hear Hillary complaining.

In fact, I think most people see her as the toughest candidate in either party. That's why she's popular. Right now people want someone tough, just as in 2000, when things were going pretty well, they wanted someone to have a beer with.

[calteacherguy]

14. It's just the media trying to create a story. nt

[superkia]

4. I have noticed there have been allot fewer posts about Clinton?

Is that because more people are finding problems with her and she is getting harder to defend or what? I hope we elect someone that can get in the white house, I think she is the worst candidate to represent us and she will just be eaten up like the media has already hinted at. I know I am crazy but Dennis Kucinich has less baggage than she does and his message is fresher and hits home more with the Americans that are frustrated with career politicians that only look out for themselves and their wealthy corporations.

He also voted no to the war because it was about oil and continues to vote no against funding it. There have been two amendments with regards to the war and the so called top contenders didn't vote NO with Kucinich, they didn't even vote. They look like they are so presidential when they take no stand for the people because it may hurt their career. I really like Obama as my second choice but was very upset that he didn't vote on the amendment Thursday that allowed bush more money to continue the war. This shit is unforgivable, they don't even vote because they know that Americans have given up on trying and will take whoever they give us no matter how bad it may hurt us? Help me understand why Americans continue to not care about this war? Why would the so called top contenders not vote no on this amendment? Why does anyone think that they will stop the Iraq war or not start the Iran war when they take office? They wont stand for us now while they are trying to win our votes but we think they will care after they win? Weird logic by some, not me.

[FlaxieB]

6. Hillary is a rookie campaigner not used to stiff competition.

The media knew this all along but they gave her the benefit of the doubt knowing that if she's pressed she will evade, tip toe and not answer truthfully. Her 'cackle' is her defense mechanism against critics. It just shows her political inexpedience and her ineptness at campaigning. Bill can't help her with this obvious problem. She does not have the skills to politic. She's just a privileged trust fund baby.:dunce:

[ElizabethDC]

"She's just a privileged trust fund baby" - since when?! n/t

[zulchzulu]

10. I disagree about the "trust fund baby" comment...but...

...when you are the frontrunner with three months until the first votes are cast, the mainstream media has their myopia telescopes on full focus looking for anything to get a "new story".

The scrutiny of being the frontrunner this early and with Clinton's baggage with her husband campaigning with her is bound to make people turn against her.

As JFK was wise enough to tell his father to stay out of the limelight during the election cycle, I would say it should be what Hillary Clinton does with her husband. But based on how Bill can't seem to stay out of the spotlight, it is bound to hurt her candidacy in the end.

It would also strengthen the GOP base to get out the vote against the Clinton Redux like no other jingoistic or homophobic non-binding amendment ever could.

That said, it appears that Clinton is being overmanaged by her staff, who are all pretty aggressively working their own agenda. I couldn't imagine Carville in the same room as MacAuliffe and getting anything done.

[illinoisprogressive]

7. Hillary would not even qualify for senate if her last name was not Clinton

[ElizabethDC]

8. Yes, she would

Here, from the United States Constitution, are the requirements for being a Senator:

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be chosen.

:evilgrin:

[Frances]

11. Hillary is more qualified to be Senator than the majority

of people in the Senate.

Do you know anything at all about her background?

I like Obama and Edwards too, but I'm tired of people writing things that are factually incorrect about any of our candidates.