The Campaign To Humanize Hillary

Washingtonpost.com: Clinton's Charm Offensive Reflects Gulf Between Experience, Likeability

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Chris Cillizza for the washingtonpost.com political blog The Fix.

---

Following last week's Democratic debate in Iowa, The Fix had the unique opportunity to sit in on focus groups conducted by The Washington Post.

During the Democratic session, led by The Post's Dan Balz and David Broder, the group of 11 undecided voters was asked for their impressions about the debate and their general thoughts about the field of candidates.

As always when a group of Democrats are gathered, the conversation was dominated by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and revealed the problems and potential Clinton has in Iowa and beyond.

Asked to say whatever first came to mind when Clinton's name was mentioned, the group offered a fascinating panoply of descriptions. "Can't be trusted," said one. "I just got a glimpse that she's got an evil side to her," said another. A third offered a backhanded compliment of sorts: "Very good at saying what she thinks we want to hear."

Others were more positive in their remarks -- if not effusive. "Work ethic," said one; "I think she's really focused," said another.

The comments signal a larger theme when it comes to voters' views in Iowa and nationally about Clinton. She is widely respected but not widely liked. Time and again in last week's focus group, the voters said they had few doubts about Clinton's ability to do the job of president; they also expressed a frustration with the essential unknowability of Clinton as a person.

That paradox is born out in scads of polling data: Democrats believe in huge margins that Clinton is the candidate best able to win back the White House in 2008. The surveys simultaneously show the New York senator scoring far less well on more personality driven questions.

In The Post's most recent Iowa poll, in which Clinton trailed Barack Obama (30 percent to 26 percent), 39 percent of the sample said that Clinton had the best chance of getting elected president, compared with 25 percent who chose Obama and 22 percent who backed John Edwards. Asked which candidate had the "best experience" to be president, Clinton led with 38 percent, followed by Edwards at 16 percent and Obama at 11 percent.

But when voters were asked which candidate "best understands the problems of people like you," the results were reversed; Obama led with 30 percent, while Edwards was second with 25 percent and Clinton took third at 20 percent. Similarly, when asked which candidate is the "most honest and trustworthy," Obama led with 31 percent, followed by Edwards at 20 percent and Clinton at just 15 percent.

Jason Marcel, a focus group participant from Des Moines, summed up the Clinton paradox nicely. "I don't know if it's just her speaking style or what it does to certain people, but she's kind of polarizing," he said. "I mean, I admire her work ethic. I think, you know ... she would work very hard."

Given the current head ("I think she would do a good job") versus heart ("I just don't like her") split in Iowa, it's not at all surprising that the Clinton campaign seems to be bent on closing the campaign with a message focused on "Hillary the person" rather than "Hillary the politician."

It started with two ads that began running in Iowa last week featuring Clinton's mother, Dorothy, and the former first daughter, Chelsea.

In the first, footage is shown of the three generations of Clinton women -- taken from a recent campaign stop. The candidate says: "As I travel around I see so many families who share the same values I was brought up with. ...I'm proud to live by those values. But what I am most proud of is knowing who I've passed them onto."

The second ad features Dorothy Rodham extolling her daughter's lack of envy and her empathy. "She has empathy for other people's unfortunate circumstances. I've always admired that because it isn't always true of people," Rodham adds. "I think she ought to be elected even if she weren't my daughter."

The images in both ads are all soft corners and heart-warming. Nary a word of policy is mentioned in either.

Even as those ads were hitting the air, former president Bill Clinton sent out a fundraising e-mail touting his wife as "the best combination of heart and mind, of leadership ability and feel for the problems of other people I've ever known." She can be both head AND heart, according to her husband.

That e-mail was followed today with the unveiling of thehillaryiknow.com, which, according to a release from the campaign, "features video testimonials from regular Americans, longtime friends, and well-known leaders whose lives have all been changed by Hillary." Several people whose video testimonials appear on the site were traveling with Clinton Monday in Iowa for a series of what were widely described as emotional events.

Even the new ad that Clinton's campaign put up in Iowa Monday morning -- touting the Des Moines Register endorsement -- had a softer side to it. While the words of the endorsement are read by a narrator, Clinton is shown working at a desk in glasses, a look she almost never sports on the campaign trail. ("She has bad eyesight -- just like us!" the ad seems to be declaring.)

Because of Clinton's unique position in American politics (universally known and respected but not well liked by most), she is running what amounts to the reverse of a traditional campaign.

In a traditional campaign, a candidate spends the first part of the race familiarizing voters with his or her biography -- a tactic designed to get voters to identify with them before the nitty-gritty of the race truly begins. As a vote nears, the candidate (and his/her ad campaign) turns the focus to more detailed policy discussions.

Compare that to Clinton's campaign. Due to the fact that most voters already knew her, there was little introduction needed -- despite the campaign's claim that Clinton was the "most famous person no one really knows." The campaign, and Clinton herself, focused on her competency and her experience -- that she alone in the Democratic field was up to the job of being president.

Judging from The Post's Iowa focus groups, as well as piles of polling data, it worked. Voters seemed receptive to the idea that Clinton was capable and responsible; it played to the notion of her that many held from her days as first lady.

That task accomplished, the campaign is now attempting to tackle the much harder task of convincing voters in these last week's that Clinton is actually someone they could love -- or at least like enough to vote for.

Clinton will never be the "heart" candidate in this primary. But judging by tactics employed over the last week, her campaign clearly believes that a pure "head" appeal won't be enough for her to win the nomination. Interestingly, Obama and Edwards have the exact opposite challenge. They have voters' hearts but still face doubts about whether they can win.

With just 16 days before Iowa, can Clinton convince enough voters that she, too, is a real person who understands their problems?

[jack3213]

AS IZZ perfectly said: "At at time in which our country is facing a continuous terrorist threats, anyone who would consider this woman for President is either completely crazy and/or suicidal or doesn''''t understand or remember how horribly bad this woman and her husband then President stripped, dismantled, cutback, defunded and dangerously rendered our military impotent while they were in office AND AT SAME TIME COMPLETELY IGNORING SEVERAL TERRORIST ATTACKS AND THE GROWING AL QAEDA THREAT. THIS WOMAN AND HER HUSBAND UNDISPUTABLY SCORED A "0" ON NATIONAL DEFENSE. I wouldn''''t trust this woman with my dogs security much less the country''s. "

[samthetvcat]

PS If you take a look at her site, some of her plans are non-sensical like the one for Restoring Standing in The World. She throws out a lot of confusing double-talk with powerful words and catch phrases but her only plan is this one:

"Hillary has put forth an aggressive plan to support public schools in developing countries in an effort to achieve universal primary education for the 77 million children around the world who aren''t in school because they are too poor."

Bill Clinton has a separate plan, where he and President Bush I are going to go around the world to re-connect. However President Bush isn''t going.

It''s the strangest non-sensical plan, but based on her confidence you''d never know it. I figure maybe 0.05% of people actually read the issues stuff on their websites though, and they don''t cover it in the news. I think the media want Hillary to win because it''s good for ratings . . . Shaun Hannity sure seems to!

[samthetvcat]

pt 1

Trueprogress, I can understand the frustration of Hillary supporters because it seems like a lot of people seemed closed to her before ever giving her a chance. However, as a woman I for one definitely have given her as much of a comb-over trying to see beyond all the defense mechanisms we all tend to use to show ourselves in a positive light, and when I''ve looked inside Hillary I don''t like what I see.

I''ve worked with some very ambitious and power-savvy women with similar drives to Hillary''s before, and while stunningly bright, gifted at making people feel like they will be finally be safe and protected if they place their trust in her hands, and REALLY hard-working, they tend to do the most mediocre jobs.

Power-mongers, even women tend to take on the mentality of the crisis mode in airplanes where a mother is supposed to take care of her own oxygen mask before worrying about her kids . . . Hillary seems to subscribe to the belief that if she''s in charge then how she can best help others is to secure her own power first. I think the problem with electing Hillary at this given time would be that with so many crises afflicting the country, she''s going to be spending all her time securing her own power and she''s never going to get to worrying about the rest of us.

[samthetvcat]

pt 2

The example I gave of Hillary in ''airplane-crisis'' mode was with the hostage situation in her office. To secure her own power, she remained in Washington until the hostage-taker was in police custody. She also did not call the hostage-taker which would have secured the release of the hostages. Staying away secured her physical safety, while not making a call prevented her from opening herself up to the risk of being partially responsible for an outcome that might be adverse to her image. For her supporters, they probably appreciate the forethought of her making her commitment to her run for Presidency first. What she like doesn''t seem to factor in is how scared and helpless the hostages must have felt and how panic-stricken their families must have been, or how the longer they were exposed to that situation the worse their Stockholm syndrome might become. How is that experience going to impact their lives from now on? Their ability to focus in everyday life, their ability to relax, their trust in others...I think some of us think these things matter just as much as maintaining one''s power and that they''re not mutually exclusive.

The talent pool runs deep this election, so I don''t feel the need to settle on somebody who''s only able to secure her own power. I think a person with guts AND a heart would have made the call knowing she''d be helpful in resolving the issue hours earlier than if she wasn''t involved. Hillary''s got the guts - her heart''s kind of lacking...

[trueprogress]

Why not give her a chance ? She has experience, she has been tested, and she is the most likely to be strong on domestic and foreign affairs. That she is sometimes on both sides of an issue, as her husband was, is no fault , in fact it is something that Her husband has used to bring people together. Who are we to crticise ?
I am a professor , in women''s studies, and also active in social issues.Her goal is to be a uniter, not a divider.

[gunownerdan]

We don''t need any more Bushes and Clintons in the white house.
America is not a 2-family monarchy.

[speakinup]

Bob - there are unsubstantiated rumors that Bill does.

I can''t believe the Dems have brought her this far. As you say, she doesn''t have a chance, and now it looks like obama is going to be their front-runner. I think he is even more unelectable.

[bobmarisol]

Does anybody actually like Hillary? I am certainly no Hillary fan, but I am surprised that even Democrats dont like her. Over 50% of Americans say they would NEVER consider voting for her!! No way she can get elected with numbers like that.

[speakinup]

The Campaign To Humanize Hillary

WEll, I guess if you don''t have a dream, how can one come true ?

I''m always reminded of the BORG on those science fiction shows when I see her. I guess in Jean-Luke could be dis-assimilated, well, there''s a CHANCE.

But why do we want a horse''s azz to run for president anyway ?

[mudrose-2009]

She''s not human yet? What happened to all that evolution stuff? Seems some part of the species hasn''t evolved - that would be the SPs. So much for science.