June 26, 2009 5:12 PM

Clinton Seizes Opportunity After Crisis

By
James M Klatell
(The Politico)  This story was written by David Paul Kuhn.

Friday afternoon began with possible tragedy: A hostage crisis at Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire.

As the incident unfolded Clinton's campaign closed its doors and canceled her public appearances.

But nightfall brought a happy ending: the campaign workers safe, the man in police custody - and Clinton flying to the scene to express thanks.

The hostage-taking itself offered a rare, if small, genuine drama in a campaign season governed by strict schedules and scripted stump speeches.

And as soon as it ended, Clinton took full advantage of the opportunity she had unexpectedly been handed.

In her New Hampshire press conference, she stood before a column of police in green and tan uniforms. She talked of meeting with hostages. She mentioned that she spoke to the state's governor about eight minutes after the incident began.

The scene was one of a woman in charge.

"It looked and sounded presidential," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "This was an instance of the White House experience of this campaign. They knew how to handle this."

That the crisis was outside Clinton's control gave it a rare quality in this era of hyper-controlled politicking, Sabato added.

"What's most important about it is that it's not contrived. It's a real event and that distinguishes it from 99 percent of what happens in the campaign season."

Clinton's campaign has long been dogged by key questions: is she authentic, does she genuinely have the experience to be president, and is the country ready for a woman as commander in chief - especially during wartime.

"She has never run anything. And the idea that she could learn to be president as an internship just doesn't make any sense," former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, said in one campaign ad.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has argued the same line.

"I don't know Hillary's experience," Giuliani has said. "She's never run a city, she's never run a state. She's never run a business. She has never met a payroll. She has never been responsible for the safety and security of millions of people, much less even hundreds of people."

Looking the part

Friday presented Clinton with a moment to look the part of president.

"You had one of these breaking news stories ... and so everybody was glued to the set," said Robert Thompson, founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. "She got on TV and provided a sense of closure and executive cool. It is like how Giuliani used television during his crisis.

"There was a sense that this was a dress rehearsal of how she was going to deal with... crisis as president," Thompson added.

In her two public appearances after the hostages were freed, she was stern, but she also spoke of the concerns she felt as a mother, admitting to a "horrible sense of bewilderment" and "outrage."

Her decision to express her personal anxieties offered a window into how she may veer into territory men avoid - personal feelings during a possible public tragedy.

The personal has at times been hard to find in Clinton. She heads the largest and most manicured of all operations.

Her campaign has an especially organized staff that surrounds her. She stays on script and she stays on schedule.

Even as she flew to New Hampshire Friday evening, she was planning to return to Iowa Saturday in order to return to schedule.

What the hostage incident offered Clinton was a brief reprieve from the petty narrative of her versus Sen. Barack Obama, a break from what at times has devolved to intra-party bickering.

"Voters look for opportunities to see how candidates react in crisis," Sabato said. "And this wasa mini crisis."

The Politico
Add a Comment See all 166 Comments
by infidel_us December 3, 2007 6:46 PM EST
Does anyone else notice that this chick''s press ALL comes from a ''she''s the underdog who is overcoming adversity'' point of view? The bias is disgusting!!!!
Reply to this comment
by gunownerdan December 3, 2007 1:17 PM EST
I bet the guy with a fake bomb is just another Clinton plant.
The Clintons love to use political stunts to get more attention.
Reply to this comment
by mediapreachr December 2, 2007 7:29 PM EST
Hillary will be the democrats nominee for the pres ticket.As a person who voted for the other party last time,I''m impressed with this woman''s performance so far.
She looks confident and quite elegant.
Reply to this comment
by stopfundies December 2, 2007 4:56 PM EST
The Democrats

Political party of people with all their teeth.

The Republicans

Political party of people who obviously think modern
dentistry is the devil.

Brush your teeth, rednecks!
Reply to this comment
by geezer62 December 2, 2007 4:03 PM EST
I have a fool proof plan for all you Hillary Haters out there to get rid of her once and for all. Many of you have stated that she and her handlers set up this hostage situation. Well, if you are sure this is factual all you have to do is come up with a non-impeachable source. Once that is done Hillary will be finished. Totally wiped from the political scene. Forever! Problem solved.
Reply to this comment
by why_not_nar December 2, 2007 3:46 PM EST
"You are the Republican''''''''s dream Democratic candidate. That is why they are donating Gulphstream Jets for you to fly on"--Posted by why__not

Gulfstream Jet. If you look in the dictionary, Gulph is actually an alternate spelling for Gulf. Having lived in Gulph Mills, PA, that is the spelling i am used to. An honest mistake.

Not bad for a high school deplomacy education.

You might want to look this one up as well,

"A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own."

Take your hatred elsewhere.

Reply to this comment
by mcvet December 2, 2007 3:43 PM EST
Some should ask Hillary why she continues to use her friend''''s private aircraft, and take a round trip flights to San Franciso that cost $15,000 and report them as $700 expenses. (the cost of a first class seat)

Not long ago, someone actually did ask that question.
Hillary''''s response was, the current law permitts that. It''''s true, there is a loophole that exactly permitts that. He response should have been, you are correct, that is a practice I will stop.

Each year the Clinton''''s make 10-50 million dollars. She could easily have reported the correct amount.
That would require integrity. Hey, if you don''''t have it when you are running for office, I wouldn''''t expect that you would acquire it while in office.

"I never had *** with that women"

Hillary, eventually we do catch on.

You are the Republican''''s dream Democratic candidate. That is why they are donating Gulphstream Jets for you to fly on.


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Posted by why__not at 11:26 AM : Dec 02, 2007
+ report abuse

*** like this has no business in this argument... NONE. It''s garbage like this that people.. TOE TAPPERS like Rove use to get simple minded Red Necks to vote against what is in their OWN best interest. It''s time we moved away from such division...
Reply to this comment
by mcvet December 2, 2007 3:41 PM EST
The Clintons leave much to be desired--I''''ll support Obama--but they''''re head and shoulders above the corrupt incompetence and arrogance of the Darth Bushit admin.

And Ron Paul, amusingly refreshing tho'''' he may be, in no way has the capability to be President. In fact, if you listen to his rhetoric, I''''d be surprised if he didn''''t support the Confederacy''''s right to secede from the USA.


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Posted by gkc99 at 12:10 PM : Dec 02, 2007
+ report abuse

You make more sense than anyone I''ve read on here. You may support some other canidate but to buy into the SAME garbage we''ve seen for the last 6 years is just INSANE.
Reply to this comment
by nyc9876 December 2, 2007 3:35 PM EST
Horrible sense of bewilderment? Outrage? (Weren''t those the same feelings she had after she Bill admitted he had a relationship with Monica?) Given her very public profile and "experience," I don''t think anyone would be that naive to think she or her campaign wouldn''t become the target for some nut job. No security at her campaign offices? I''m sure that New Hampshire is probably rather crime-free, but c''mon now. She couldn''t hire a rent-a-cop to watch the door with the hundreds of millions in her war chest? Why she walks around with secret service protection but leaves her campaign workers exposed is the first question that popped into my mind. What, they never imagined this could happen? Just like after Bill had multiple affairs, she never believed he could possibly have been with Monica? Hillary may be incredibly naive, but she certainly knows how to turn gullible into opportunity. The disturbing thing about that photo op was the fact that she rather seemed to be enjoying her presidential moment. She should have been apologizing to her campaign workers for putting them at risk. Just out of curiosity, can anyone think of any moment when her "experience" has transcended her gullibility?
Reply to this comment
by nyc9876 December 2, 2007 3:33 PM EST
Horrible sense of bewilderment? Outrage? (Weren''t those the same feelings she had after she Bill admitted he had a relationship with Monica?) Given her very public profile and "experience," I don''t think anyone would be that naive to think she or her campaign wouldn''t become the target for some nut job. No security at her campaign offices? I''m sure that New Hampshire is probably rather crime-free, but c''mon now. She couldn''t hire a rent-a-cop to watch the door with the hundreds of millions in her war chest? Why she walks around with secret service protection but leaves her campaign workers exposed is the first question that popped into my mind. What, they never imagined this could happen? Just like after Bill had multiple affairs, she never believed he could possibly have been with Monica? Hillary may be incredibly naive, but she certainly knows how to turn gullible into opportunity. The disturbing thing about that photo op was the fact that she rather seemed to be enjoying her presidential moment. She should have been apologizing to her campaign workers for putting them at risk. Just out of curiosity, can anyone think of any moment when her "experience" has transcended her gullibility?
Reply to this comment
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