As Cortney wrote, Vice President Joe Biden was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he opened up about his son’s death, which drew a raw emotional response that was just as much heartwarming as it was tragic. At the same time, it indirectly impacted Hillary Clinton, who isn’t as emotional–and comes off as poll-tested and wooden. It’s become so bad that her campaign announced that they would be manufacturing spontaneity on the campaign trail in an effort to make her more human.
CNN’s Ana Navarro called the juxtaposition “lethal.” Van Jones also chimed in, saying that “if she’s a moderate, be a moderate. Tell Bernie Sanders where he’s wrong, and stick up for what she believes in,” he said. “I think she just needs to become who she truly is.” Via Washington Free Beacon:
Well, so far, Biden was authentic in that Colbert interview, whereas Hillary hasn’t been able to inject any life into her campaign, even if she sort of got emotional during her interview with ABC News’ David Muir, where she gave her so-called apology. Via America Rising:
At times, Hillary has shown emotion, and it paid off in some primary contests. The display of emotion at a cafe in New Hampshire is credited with winning that state after losing Iowa to Obama in 2008. In the end, she lost the national contest, and, like her husband, a lot of things are poll tested. Her non-apology, apology about her email server was given some direction by a New Hampshire-based focus group. To pour more salt in the wounds (admittedly more for the pundit class than her supporters), is that in July the former first lady positioned herself as a strong fighter for progressive values; she’s now an unabashed moderate.
Again, this shift–and more importantly the question of where she stands on the issues–goes back to her 2000 Senate race, where Republican strategist Mike Murphy said he would respect her more if she ran true to her roots, which is that she is a “strong, doctrinaire liberal.” But she paints herself as this centrist moderate, which he feels isn’t authentic. In the end, it didn’t matter; her last name was Clinton, she ran for a Senate seat in a very liberal state, and the Republican candidate–Rep. Rick Lazio–destroyed himself in on the debate stage with Clinton when he exited the podium and pressured her to sign the "New York Freedom From Soft Money Pledge.” It was not well received.
Again, we’re far from February, but Clinton’s Iowa support has dropped by a third since June, she’s floundering in the polls, her electability is now starting to be questioned, and Sen. Bernie Sanders is leading her by 10 points in Iowa and 22 points in New Hampshire. It’s been a rough summer for the former Secretary of State, but the email fiasco was entirely avoidable.
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