Clinton Finds Emotion On The Trail

CBSNews.com Reports: Former Front-Runner Fights Back Tears On Eve Of N.H. Primary

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter David Miller.

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Since her third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, Democrat Hillary Clinton has tried to project an image of strength, sounding as confident as when she was her party's front-runner, and even getting a little angry when talking about the man who has supplanted her in that spot, Barack Obama.

But it was a simple question that, on Monday, may have shown the intense pressure Clinton is facing in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary is getting to her in the campaign's closing hours. At a café in Portsmouth, the last question from a group of undecided voters came from Marianne Pernold, a freelance photographer who is torn between Clinton and Obama.

"How do you do it?" she asked - curious more about the physical rigors of the campaign than anything else, she said afterward.

But Clinton answered the question in a broader sense, and her emotions revealed themselves - her voice cracked and quavered, her eyes turned watery.

"It's not easy, it's not easy and I couldn't do it if I didn't passionately that it was the right thing to do," she said. "It's not just political. I see what's happening. We have to reverse it. Some people think elections are a game - who's up, who's down. It's about our country. It's about our kids' futures."

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Analysis: Choking Up In New Hampshire?
From The Road Blog: Clinton Fights Back Tears
CBS Evening News: The Woman Who Elicited Clinton's Emotion

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The emotion building - as cameras zoomed in and photographers snapped away furiously - Clinton, speaking softly, reiterated what has been her core argument the past four days: readiness.

"We do it, each one of us, because we care about our country," she said. "Some of us are right and some of us are wrong. Some of us are ready and some of us are not. Some of us know what we will do on day one, and some of us haven't, maybe, thought that through enough."

It would be hard to blame Clinton for cracking - even just a little - given the circumstances she's facing. She has been outflanked by Obama, who has turned his campaign into a movement that has drawn in large numbers of independent and young voters. Her third-place finish in Iowa has made New Hampshire a crucial test. An Obama win here - and polls are predicting just that - could give the Illinois senator even more momentum for Clinton to overcome.

"It's a genuine moment - she's talking about her passion for the country," Clinton spokesman Jay Carson said of the candidate's emotional response. "For her it's about people. That's all it's about for her. That's why she does this."

Right now, however, Clinton's opportunity to be president appears to be slipping away, and her campaign is trying to right the ship while stealing momentum from Obama. But her aides suggest that isn't going to happen in New Hampshire, which they now portray as merely the first part of a lengthy national campaign for the nomination.

"New Hampshire is the 'first in the nation' primary, not the 'first and last in the nation' primary," said Clinton strategist Doug Hattaway. "So, you know, we're working hard to do well in New Hampshire tomorrow, but there's lots of other states to go."

Among those states is South Carolina, which holds its primary Jan. 26. The state is home to a large contingent of black Democrats which could benefit Obama, with his win in Iowa proving to them his viability. After that come nearly two-dozen states on Feb. 5, a day which is widely expected to effectively determine the Democratic nominee.

Clinton held large leads in those states throughout 2007. But a new national survey from Rasmussen Reports suggests that is changing - Clinton's lead over Obama was down to 4 percentage points, equal to the poll's margin of error.

The campaign hopes, however, that the run-up to Feb. 5, and the increased time between contests, will allow people to examine Obama more thoroughly and decide that Clinton is the better choice.

"I think what you'll see is people looking to get though all the talk, because everybody is talking about change," Hattaway said. "And when people look past the talk is when you start to see the distinctions."

But time is running out and the challenge Clinton faces is a tough one. Proof of that might be seen in Marianne Pernold's reaction to seeing the New York senator on the verge of tears, showing the emotion she's often criticized for lacking. She said the moment made her cry, too - but that even though she was now leaning toward voting for Clinton, she was still undecided.

"Obama moved me to tears, too," she said. "I'm smitten by Obama. I'm smitten by him. But Hillary showing that emotion just really - I found that really refreshing."

[questionnews]

Crying?! There''s no crying in baseball!

[johnny343sc]

HAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

The witch has water thrown on her!

WHADDA WORLD!!!! I''m melting...

;)

[culturechang]

The stress will get worse. This is just the election. The duties of office are more stressfull.

[shanev137]

Oh yea, we need a self-absorbed woman president who cries and PMS''es under pressure...like we need a hole in our head.

[lorinkundert]

Hillary Clinton made one thing very clear at Saturday night%u2019s Democratic debate: Her likability tour is definitely over.

Baring her claws at opponents Barack Obama and John Edwards, the real Hillary was finally in evidence. The mask was off and her rage, arrogance, and sense of entitlement were on full display.

[frankson2]

SOUNDS LIKE AN EDMUND MUSKIE MOMENT!

[etsu6]

Come on now. This is the oldest trick in the books, and besides, she''s had plenty of coaching, especially from the chief town crier, Bill Clinton.
I would venture a guess that Obama will be the Democratic choice come convention time...and I''ll be glad to cast my vote for the gentleman from Illinois.
Larry French
Butler, TN

[fstop100]

I would cry to if I had to go back home to Bill after I lost.

[erasmus6]

I think that if Obama gets in, it will be the biggest mistake the U.S. has made.

Do not get me wrong, I like Obama. He was on Oprah and he seemed like a really nice guy but being nice isn''t the only requirment to being president. He comes off as being VERY immature and says things that I really have to shake my head at.

Mark my words. If he gets in as president, you think you have problems now? just wait, you are going to have a whole new set of them on top of what you have now. This person isn''t capable of doing what needs to be done. He has no idea and by the time he can even remotely figure it out, it is going to be too late.

The U.S. needs someone in there that can hit the ground running.

[peter776-2009]

Forced, conveniently-timed, disingenuous and manipluative tears aside, as a lifelong Democrat I believe Hillary is the wrong person at the wrong time as a candidate for President. First, Hillary is not electable. More than half of potential voters would never vote for her. Second, Hillary is just as inexperienced as Obama. Other than her relatively short time as a New York senator, she has no previous experience as an elected official, and no experience in the public or private sectors running or managing a large enterprise. Third, she is a highly polarizing force, who if elected President would be the Democratic equivalent of %u201CW%u201D: arrogant, and unable to parlay or negotiate with those on the other side of the aisle (and therefore unable to get things done). Like W, she has an alienating %u201Cmy way or the highway%u201D personality. While I consider Obama a complete lightweight, and Edwards little more than a cutie boy tort lawyer with a worn-out class warfare message, either one of them would serve the country better than Hillary, who really stands for nothing more than the proposition of getting herself elected to office. Finally, we are all quite tired of Bush- and Clinton-style shenanigans. It%u2019s time to try something new and different. Our country is in big trouble, and it will take a real leader to extricate this nation from the deep, deep pit Bush has dug for us.

[AgentGGG]

HRC''s tears are crocodile tears for voters. They are tears of disappointment, for she knows she is losing what she has internalized as being her due: the Democratic nomination. But entitlement breeds arrogance, and arrogance does not an effective politician make. HRC has been off the mark with terrorism and war policies, and has tended to be a reactionary type of leader.

Also, if this brings her to tears, what would the presidency do to her? I believe HRC is a little fairy princess in her own little world, and that now she is getting some hard doses of reality. She should reflect on herself and how honest she has been about her motivation and ambition. There is a great deal of her drive that is based on egotism and narcissism, although that is not all bad.

[blazercoach1]

Ok....you haven''t lost...you are MAYBE losing an election...and this causes you to cry???????

What are you going to do if Iran goes nuclear? Tell your daddy and suck your thumb?

What if nobody buys your health care plan? Gonna curl up with your blanket?

Ok...I''ve seen enough......I have three young kids and I wouldn''t let them run the house, much less the country.

[bluestarsky]

I don''t believe Hillary was being disingenuous when she answered that personal question in the cafi. She''s a real person and answered the question honestly. Hillary is only a polarizing figure because half of us are intimidated by a strong woman with conviction. We are lucky enough to have Hillary on our side, there''s no need or time to ''be hating'' now. The big picture is we need her experience and her drive as the President of the United States. She has a lot of great ideas and a good track record with the strength and conviction to do great things for this country. This is not a power trip, it''s real.

[libbylou8]

Puleeze!!!
Remember while growing up "the kid" no one liked playing games with because he/she was such a sore loser? He/she would say things like, "they cheated", "that wasn''t fair", "its not my fault that everyone was against me, even my own teammates", etc... Hillary is acting like that kid. Politics is a grown-up''s game. Hillary needs to grow up or get out.

[micma-2009]

On issue after issue, while Democrats offer real solutions and new ideas to provide the American people with the change they want, the Republicans can only offer a third Bush term.

[nottellin1]

Some of us know what we will do on day one, and some of us haven''t, maybe, thought that through enough."

Can she really be that dumb? I am quite sure that any candidate has fantisized many times about what they would do the first day of their presidency.

[barbaraf4]

I was very uncomfortable watching HRC cry. First, it seems a little out of character for someone who is hard as nails. Second, it brings back all those reasons we have heard for years about why a woman should not be president. Third, she is too old for PMS, so I guess we will have to put up with her menopausal mood swings and hot flashes.

[katg21]

PLEASE!!! Crying, without tears, is something that all women have mastered and use to their advantage. TOTAL FAKE.

[misssuzq]

She''s human or just playing the female card with the "emotion"?

I believe everything she does is strategic, well calculated and self-serving.

PLEASE, ladies, donot vote for her just because she is a women. She is not the right one for the Presidency.

[katg21]

On issue after issue, while Democrats offer real solutions and new ideas to provide the American people with the change they want...Posted by micma

Oh really? What solutions do you speak of...higher taxes?

[micma-2009]

On issue after issue, while Democrats offer real solutions and new ideas to provide the American people with the change they want, the Republicans can only offer a third Bush term.

[peter776-2009]

No tears flowed from Hillary''s eyes until she was losing AND she knew the electorate considered her robot-like. Suddenly, instant tears arrive on cue, the day before the New Hampshire primaries. Coincidence? Real feeling? The reasons why Hillary is polarizing are unimportant -- the undeniable fact is that she is highly polarizing, and would therefore be highly likely to be ineffective as Commander-in-Chief, just as Bush is now. Hillary has something short of 8 years in the US senate, and during that time has not risen to any position of leadership among her peers. This is her only experience as an elected official, and she won the office only because she came into it as "Mrs. Clinton." Hillary''s "great ideas" are gleaned by sticking her finger in the wind, seeing which way the wind is blowing, and then proclaiming her message for the day on the basis of wind direction. She is a manipulative, corrupt, cynical, nasty, old windbag who is as qualified to be President as Rush Limbaugh. If Hillary became President, the Republic would probably not be able to withstand the continuing assualt of incompetence, inexperience and arrogance. She cannot be allowed to follow Bush. This country deserves much better.

[setumstrt9]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

This is the dem''s leader for the war on terror.

Give me a break!!!!!

[formrusmcsgt]

Hillary''s breaking down because she realizes that her coat-tail riding is over.

She was able to ride Bill''s coat-tails into the Senate, but that won''t get her back to the White House - except as an invited guest of Obama''s.....

[katg21]

No tears flowed from Hillary''''s eyes until she was losing... Posted by peter776

No tears ever fell from her eyes, she did the "fake cry"...anyone can do that.

[islamorada57]

She''s tired.

She''s frustrated.

She can''t understand why we don''t want her.

Someone please try to explain it to her.

[marcodele]

No Democrat has proposed higher taxes. That''s just something your neocon president and the neocon news networks feed you to get your votes. Once they do, they''re done with you.

[katg21]

On issue after issue, while Democrats offer real solutions and new ideas to provide the American people with the change they want...Posted by micma

Oh really? What solutions do you speak of...higher taxes?

Repeating your previous post doesn''t answer the question, Micma.

[micma-2009]

On issue after issue, while Democrats offer real solutions and new ideas to provide the American people with the change they want, the Republicans can only offer a third Bush term.



Katg21

How much do you pay for gas now? How much did you pay before Bu$h? What about health care and food? The cost of living has gone through the roof since Bu$h became President. How much have your taxes gone down under Bu$h? Who do you think is going to pay for the trillions of dollars Bu$h has borrowed from China and Saudi Arabia? I''m sorry that you are such a gullible moron.

[tejasdemo]

I love Hillary.

[katg21]

How much do you pay for gas now? Posted by micma

Not Bush''s fault. Let''s hear the dems solution to higher gas prices? Bush had a solution but you and your environmental wacko friends wanted nothing to do with it.

[drivelphobe]

This is Hillary''s plan "c" for crybaby. What an arrogant, self-serving hag. She is the most phony of all politicians. Like many women pursuing male saturated professions, she has no clue about proper behaviour. She could learn a great deal from Condi Rice

The other night when she said, " When I''m elected President", instead of something a little more humble, she sealed her fate as far as I''m concerned. I think most of America just hates her.

[brianp55]

Yeah, you bet she''s getting emotional. I would too if I saw my plans for the past 25 years unravelling in front of me like a bad dream. How ironic that an unanticipated and unknown person (Obama) steps in from out of the blue and everything she''s worked for and felt entitled to starts to come unglued. The gods are indeed perverse and cruel.

[katg21]

What about health care and food? Posted by micma

Healthcare is GREAT, food prices are GREAT, with the exception of the price of oranges because of the freeze in Florida...got to love that global warming huh?

[pugster]

RE: This going to be like Carter in 1980 when he lost 49 states and then cried during his concession speech.

Posted by NameVerified at 05:39 PM : Jan 07, 2008

I believe it is Walter Mondale who lost 49 states in the 1984 election.

[katg21]

How much have your taxes gone down under Bu$h?Posted by micma

My taxes just went up but not because of Bush; Jennifer Granholm (our dem & dumb governor) really screwed the pooch here in Michigan.

[micma-2009]

Not Bush''''s fault. Let''''s hear the dems solution to higher gas prices? Bush had a solution but you and your environmental wacko friends wanted nothing to do with it.



Posted by katg21


When Bu$h took office the federal debt was 5 trillion. It''s now past 9 trillion. This is entirely due to Bu$h cutting taxes to the wealthy and going on a spending spree with the national credit card. Where do you think the money is going to come from to pay this off moron? I''ll answer that one for you: yours, mine, our childrens, and our great grandchildrens pockets. It''s also caused a huge devaluation of the dollar and increased the cost of doing business and buying any commodity.

As for oil, the day Bu$h invaded Iraq, sitting on top of the worlds second largest oil reserves, the price of oil went up and it''s been going up ever since. Every time Bu$h threatens Iran the price of oil goes up. I''m sorry that you are a moron. You''ve been suckling from Rush''s man-boobs too long, your clearly drunk on the rancid milk.

[excoachken]

To badaxmofo: So we are stupid for being concerned about gasoline approaching $4 per gallon while the oil companies continue to make record profits for the bush mafia. Try to win this election with that line of krapola!

[micma-2009]

Here''s what Republicans are trying to sell the American people in this election:

A third term of President Bu$h. If you like Bu$h and his failed policies, you''ll love all the Republican candidates except for Ron Paul.

[peter776-2009]

Hillary is unelectable. Too many people (including me - a lifelong Democrat) do not like her or downright hate her. I am unaware of any accomplishments of note for which Hillary has been responsible in the US Senate, where she never attained a position of leadership among her peers. Her highly touted "experience" is something short of a term and a half as a US Senator, which represents the sum total of her lifetime experience as an elected official. No one knows what her views are on virtually any important topic, despite the fact that we are well along the primary track. Is she opposed to illegal immigration? Would she withdraw from Iraq? Would she bolster US forces in Afghanistan? Would she save Social Security, and if so, how? What is her universal health care plan or strategy? In short, the only thing we know Hillary stands for is getting elected to the highest office in the land. In view of her inexperience, shameless pandering to polls, the polarizing figure she cuts, and the fact that her views on any of a number of important remain essentially unknown, I will never vote for her.

[pepperp1]

Obama is not a man with a record I can vote for, if he is the Dem nominee that will be the shame.

[brianp55]

"It''s not easy, it''s not easy and I couldn''t do it if I didn''t passionately that it was the right thing to do," she said. "It''s not just political. I see what''s happening. We have to reverse it. Some people think elections are a game - who''s up, who''s down. It''s about our country. It''s about our kids'' futures."

mmmhmmm...she''s a martyr. Well, if the Presidency is out of reach, then perhaps sainthood is achievable.

[donbl1]

Hillary sees the light at the end of the tunnel and it is a train.

Obama is "currently" a phenomenom.

[micma-2009]

Here''''s what Republicans are trying to sell the American people in this election:

A third term of President Bu$h. If you like Bu$h and his failed policies, if you like rising prices, wars and deficits as far as the eye can see, a government that is fiscally and morally bankrupt, you''ll love all the Republican candidates except for Ron Paul.

[katg21]

micma,

Blah , blah, blah...you still haven''t answered my question. It''s okay though, I don''t expect you to have an answer because everything you spew has been spoon fed to you.

[micma-2009]

dumbax

In 2001, President Bush promised not to burden future generations with debt: %u201CFuture generations shouldn%u2019t be forced to pay back money that we have borrowed. We owe this kind of responsibility to our children and grandchildren.%u201D (President George W. Bush, Radio Address, 3/3/01) Unfortunately, Bush Republicans have broken that promise and millions of middle-class Americans will be paying the price for years to come. As a former economist in the Bush White House put it: %u201C%u2019the long-term outlook is such a deep well of sorrow that I can''t get much happiness out of this year.%u201D (Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office and former White House economist under President Bush, New York Times, 7/9/06) It%u2019s no wonder Americans trust Democrats more than Republicans to do a better job of handling the federal budget by a 54 percent to 34 percent margin. (Washington Post/ABC News poll, 5/15/06)

[sharncedar]

She would make a good specimen for examing the sociopath - here is a person so removed from honesty that she even "cries" as part of a staged campaign. and all for what? What does she hope to gain? She is like a maniac, a driven and insane person, wanting to be in power at all cost, at any cost. And when people call her on it, her response is to fake "caring" by fake crying. A classic sociopath. Is there a real Hillary anymore?

[hypnotoad72]

badaxmofo - When nobody can afford the products, how does THAT equate to more customers?

Try "fewer" customers.

I know other countries'' economies are boosting thanks to the United States - and as long as the products are of sound quality, fair enough. How come people are juicin'' up the champagne over selling products that are cheap, tacky, maim, and kill?

Who''s going to rein in that sloppiness? The same people who claim regulations are bad, perhaps?

[micma-2009]

katg21

What question was that?

[scarletphd]

Posted by peter776 - you unenlightened ignorant blowhard...read and LEARN...

Immigration: On March 8, 2006, she strongly criticized H.R. 4437, a bill passed by the House of Representatives in December 2005 and sent to the Senate, that would impose harsher penalties for undocumented workers. Clinton called the measure "a rebuke to what America stands for" and said it would be "an unworkable scheme to try to deport 11 million people, which you have to have a police state to try to do." She believed the solution to the illegal immigration problem was to make "a path to earned citizenship for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar for becoming a citizen.