Clearly, as many pundits and politicians have already noted, authenticity is not Hillary Clinton's strong suit.
Coordinated and scripted campaign stops, gross pandering, and breathless statements about how she was once “dead broke” after leaving the White House have all contributed to the perception that the former first lady is profoundly unrelatable, and an insincere spokeswoman for the working class.
Appearing fresh and dynamic, however, is an admittedly difficult task for any presidential contender, especially one who has been on the national stage for decades. But given her universal name recognition and heir apparent status, her path to the nomination seems preordained. Hence, her campaign is likely to continue following a scripted regiment of avoiding the media, shunning debates, and embracing the popular zeitgeist of our time that, after losing the Democratic nomination eight years ago to a truly exceptional campaigner, nothing can now stand in her way.
Indeed, more than half the country already thinks she’s going to win the 2016 election outright, according to a new poll—even though more than one-third of Democrats think that the party “needs a fresh face" in 2016. But to whom, I wonder, will they look? If a certain progressive senator continues to brush aside the suggestion that she's entering the ring, who will emerge as a credible and viable Democratic alternative? Joe Biden? Martin O’Malley?
Please. Hillary Clinton, it seems reasonably safe to conclude, will face little or no opposition during the primary. Barring an amendment to the US Constitution allowing presidents to serve three executive terms, the Democrats are putting all their eggs into the Hillary Clinton basket.
But can she deliver? Can she overcome the scandals and the controversies? That remains to be seen. But Hillary Clinton’s most acute weakness, I think, is that she does not appear to be genuine, approachable, or even trustworthy. Perhaps, as one writer recently put it, she really is the “Mitt Romney of the Democrats.”
We'll see.