Three weeks ago I wrote a Blog post expressing my concern about the way Hillary Clinton was campaigning. That's when she was still "ahead," if we are to believe the polls. I still don't put much stock in the polls at this point, since in the NH First-In-The-Nation Presidential Primary we've often seen much shift during those final few days before people go to vote. However, I am concerned that her campaign still has continued to emphasize "experience" rather than "ideas," and the "past" rather than the "future." And her advertising in my judgment is crammed full of rhetoric, with no clear message other than this stuff about a President needing to be ready to "lead from day one." What's that mean? She can do better.
I got some criticism about my observations a few weeks ago. I received a few calls and E-Mails from my fellow Clinton supporters, even some suggesting I was being disloyal by offering even a bit of public criticism. We have to all be "cheerleaders," I was told. But I'm never going to ask Hillary for a job if she wins. In fact, it's me who's trying to get HER a job, with my vote. I don't need to please the campaign bosses. And Hillary Clinton doesn't either.
Of course, perhaps my observations about her campaign aren't accurate. I can accept that. Maybe I'm wrong and it's perfect. But I just think something's wrong with her campaign right now. I've been involved at one level or another in every NH Primary since 1960, when I distributed flyers as a little pup for John F. Kennedy, and I've seen and participated in lots of good, and poor, campaigns -- as well as good campaigns that just fell apart because of some poor tactical choices during the closing weeks. It happens.
Either way, in a hope that my chosen candidate will run up to a smashing successful finish during the next and final 26 days to January 8th, I again encourage Hillary Clinton to reinvent her campaign and show us who she really is and not just what her consultants and handlers from Washington media firms want us to think she is. I urge her to listen to more of her experienced New Hampshire campaign advisors. And I ask her to present her ideas in her own words, without the buzz phrases that might rate "80%" on the electronically-generated curve in some focus group session.
As I said last Spring shortly after she formally announced, Hillary Clinton could lose this one. Put another way, it's her's to lose, or win. As a very early endorser, dating back to a Blog post I wrote on December 5, 2006, even before her announcement of January 20th six weeks later, I began to get concerned about the direction of her campaign after she made her first few visits here.
What I've seen these past few months isn't the Hillary Clinton I remember from her campaign visits here in 1991, when I first met her, or her several visits since and prior to this year. Where has the "conversation" gone that she said she wanted to start with her announcement last January? It seems as if she is talking "to" or "at" us, even "down" to us. She needs to talk "with" us -- in fact, one of the strengths of the NH Primary is that candidates indeed have that chance, to get away from the podiums and look us in the eye, face-to-face, not talking over our heads.
Where are her courageous stands? It seems like so many of her "positions" are indeed that -- positions that are the result of focus groups and consultant message massaging that simply makes it difficult to figure out exactly what she will do about Iraq, corporate corruption, campaign finance reform, and even health care. I just can't figure it out.
"Let Hillary Be Hillary" should be her personal motto during the next three-plus weeks in Iowa and New Hampshire. THAT WAY, she'll win this thing Otherwise, I'm worried that we will lose the opportunity to have a great President elected in 2008. .
To Hillary, I'll repeat my advice from a few weeks ago for what it's worth: Put your pollsters aside. Forget the focus groups. Resist the "politically correct" answers where you sound like you're trying to satisfy everyone and every interest group. Tell your managers you don't want to be managed. Leave your speech writers' missives at their offices. Forget the cute one-liners that don't tell us much. Don't be overly cautious or calculating. Show your courage, we've seen that before. Be yourself. Just yourself. We'll like what we see.
Challenge us. Talk with us about America's possibilities and our opportunities. Give us your vision. I think we'll like you even more for that. And you'll become President.
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