Will Clinton's "Prose" Propel Her To The White House?

By: Jim Axelrod
Topics: Hillary Clinton

(CBS)

From CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Jim Axelrod, who's covering the Clinton campaign:

COMMERCE, CALIF. -- Lately Hillary Clinton has taken to quoting former New York Governor Mario Cuomo on the stump. "You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose," Clinton tells her crowds. It's another subtle way to target Barack Obama. The Clinton camp feels that the path to the Democratic nomination runs through her ability to paint Obama as a "talker not a doer."

Watch carefully over the next 3 and 1/2 weeks. In her speeches, events, and ads, Clinton will continue to press voters to examine Obama's record, not his rhetoric.

However, if she was accurately describing herself, Hillary Clinton would have to say she is campaigning in prose as well.

You can't fault Clinton for playing to her strength. She is a policy wonk who comes across as steeped in both domestic and foreign policy issues. She is not a riveting public speaker. She doesn't raise the roof. In her first public appearance since her stunning come from behind win in New Hampshire, she walked into a Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas and spoke to an overflow crowd about sub-prime lending. An important issue to be sure -- especially in Nevada -- but it certainly is prose -- not poetry.

Who's to argue with her strategy or technique right now? Her campaign style was effective enough to make pollsters and reporters look like morons in New Hampshire**. The personal nature of campaigning in New Hampshire -- Q and A sessions in coffee shops, high school auditoriums, even door-to-door canvassing -- allowed her to flesh out a sometimes dry speaking style with interpersonal touches of warmth.

But that's changing. Twenty four states hold nominating contests on Super Tuesday, February 5th. She'll be reaching out much more extensively through television ads and rallies. Poetry arguably becomes more important. If we've learned anything from the campaign so far, it's that the Democratic base wants to be inspired -- words do matter. Obama's status -- neck and neck with Clinton at worse -- is largely based on the power of articulating an idea. If Hillary Clinton is going to use Mario Cuomo's one-liner on the stump -- she better be careful to mind both halves of the quote.

** A quick word on the disparity between polls and results. Reporters have been getting criticized for pronouncing Hillary Clinton's campaign dead and buried before the votes were cast. A reminder: the Clinton campaign itself was bracing for defeat. Their most senior strategists had given up on New Hampshire going into the vote. They had started to move resources, plan for new campaign leadership, and reformulate strategy based on a presumed loss in New Hampshire. Not because of media reports -- because of their own convictions about what was going to happen. Honest reporting reflecting the sense of the Clinton campaign itself would have required writing a story line that the Clintons expected to be soundly beaten last Tuesday. If we had it wrong -- we weren't alone.

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by wooha3 January 12, 2008 3:55 AM EST: It was reported in the Village Voice today by Tom Robbins that Bloomberg will bypass the primaries and run as an Independent if either Edwards or Clinton win the Democratic nomination. Hmmm, isn''t his brother Tim Robbins stumping for Edwards on the campaign trail?; Reply to this comment


by daleesp January 12, 2008 2:04 AM EST: It is not often an article is written that isn''t slanted against Hillary. *** the torpedoes Hillary, full speed ahead!!!; Reply to this comment


by PulSamsara January 11, 2008 11:08 PM EST: Does the Clinton Campaign pay the New York Times for it''s spun coverage ?; Reply to this comment


by mcsummit January 11, 2008 9:12 PM EST: ''If we had it wrong -- we weren''t alone.''- yeah,that makes you feel good?
At least,finally from that same ''morons'' corner, a sensible piece on Hillary.; Reply to this comment


by memekiller January 11, 2008 6:56 PM EST: It''s always good to read a sensible piece on Clinton, albeit again just reinforcing the GOP narrative that describes any Democratic contender as "inauthentic" or unable to connect -- actually just excuses reporters use to justify injecting their own distaste about a candidate into their commentary.

As for your footnote, I was as surprised by her win in NH as anyone. I think what bugs people is the glee demonstrated on the part of the media anytime they think they found a justification to tear down anyone with the name "Clinton" associated with them that''s been a fetish of journalists since 1992, despite both Clinton''s unquestionably positive poll numbers. (Bill left office with polls higher than Reagan''s, or JFK''s at the end of his term).

Getting NH wrong is one thing, but you guys don''t even try to hide the fact that you despise the Clinton''s, which became clear in your coverage leading up to NH. Her campaign wasn''t dead even if she HAD come in second there.; Reply to this comment


by g02342000 January 11, 2008 6:27 PM EST: John Edwards is the only one that will fight poverty and bring health care and education to the poor & middle class of America. The Edwards / Biden ticket would be the best Presidency for all America, anything less will be as bad as keeping Bush in office forever. America deserves honest men of integrity that will fight for all Americans. Edwards is a true patriot that can make America great, he has the substinance, determination, and will to fight greed, corruption and end the outsourcing of our jobs, His economic, education, health and welfare policies are now being copied by all the canidates. Edwards spoke out months and even years before the others. America needs to think about why are the "Washington Greed, Corruption, Large Corporations and Media" trying to make this a two candidate Democratic race? Edwards is the only one able to win the Presidency from the democratic side, and any republican that is nominated will beat Clinton and/or Obama. Only Edwards can fix Bush''s mistakes!; Reply to this comment