The Politico has an interesting article up about the hostage crisis in New Hampshire yesterday and Hillary Clinton’s response to it:
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.
I’m quite sure that there will be many Republicans who will attack Clinton (below I’ll provide links to some of those who’ve already criticized her), journalists and Larry Sabato, but she’s quite right to milk this cow for all its worth. She should have used it to present herself as someone who’s in charge and who remains calm… even under pressure. As Larry Sabato said: “It looked and sounded presidential. This was an instance of the White House experience of this campaign. They knew how to handle this. 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.”
Quite right, and she used it well. You can’t blame her for that, every other campaign would’ve done the same. What’s more, you can understand people better if you see how they react in times of crises. She reacted well. ‘Nough said.
Captain Ed Morrissey - who’s one of the most reasonable conservatives out there as long as the subject isn’t Hillary (or Bill) Clinton - disagrees: “Hillary certainly didn’t do anything wrong, but she didn’t “take charge” as the AP implies, or look presidential, as Sabato declares. She certainly looks considerably less presidential today in trying to take credit for the professional work done by the Rochester PD yesterday. That looks a lot more like a politician than a President, and we already know her credentials for the former. This incident doesn’t provide Hillary any credentials for the latter.”
It does actually and… perhaps we’ll see Republicans criticizing Giuliani for his bragging about how he dealt with 9/11? After all, it were the firefighters and cops who did the real work. Giuliani was calm, and took charge - like Clinton did - but he was far from flawless and milks his 9/11 image for all its worth.
Gaius calls it “probably one of the worst instances of political opportunism in recent memory.” To that I can only say; lets not overdo it. My God. The American political climate is one where opportunism rules. Whenever something happens, it’s exploited for political purposes.
She dealt well with it, she’ll exploit it for all its worth.
And she’s right.
UPDATE: The usually brilliant Ed Morrissey reacts to my post. “The normally clear-headed Michael van der Galien makes a very strange argument, claiming an equivalency between Rudy’s handling of 9/11 and Hillary’s handling of this incident. I suppose that would make sense — if Rudy hadn’t been mayor of New York City, and if Rudy had been hundreds of miles away, and if Rudy had merely pestered local authorities for updates instead of actually taking charge because he was in charge. In short, Michael is very confused about the difference between a city-wide catastrophe and a run-of-the-mill hostage standoff, and their implications.”
Let me respond by quoting one of the readers of this blog: “I don’t see any reason to criticize her, I think it’d be hypocritical to do so. Sure she’d milk it for all she could - it’s politics and Image is everything. Every other candidate would do it as well.”
As for Giuliani: there’s enough room to criticize him and he’s milking 9/11 for all its worth. He’s using it for political purposes and… he’s right. He should do that. As should Clinton.
What’s more, when a crisis occurs people look at their leaders. When these leaders come across as calm - be it in a big or relatively small crisis - they, rightfully, have more confidence in those leaders. Hillary understands that. As does Giuliani.
She’s smart.
Gaius: You’re right; I’m sure the other candidates wouldn’t have been so downright heinous as to act in a manner that would be attractive to voters in such a situation.
I don’t see any reason to criticize her, I think it’d be hypocritical to do so. Sure she’d milk it for all she could - it’s politics and Image is everything. Every other candidate would do it as well.
I agree completely Interested.
She stepped up and delivered in a crisis situation. She was calm, deliberate and strong. As Interested says, image is everything in politics. Senator Clinton is entitled, in part, to run on this moment.
kdeiz: What exactly was it she delivered besides a speech?
oops, sorry…….kreiz, not kdeiz. shortage of coffee
[...] The Van Der Galiën Gazette: She reacted well. ‘Nough said. [...]
“perhaps we’ll see Republicans criticizing Giuliani for his bragging about how he dealt with 9/11? ”
Guiliani actually was Mayor of N.Y. and in charge of things. Most would agree he was a strong leader after 9/11, an unprecedented horrific attack on U.S. soil.
Hilary delivered a speech and claimed to “bug people” who were doing the actual work. She also played the Mommy card.
Ed is dead on and comparing her to Guiliani is apples and oranges.
I am happy and delighted for the “calm” manner” that the senator displayed. She looked, presidential with her chin up. Even the lights were right. What a moment.
I think with the safe resolution of this crisis and particularly her participation in the resolution she has crossed the line from simple citizen to a magnificent leader..
I just can see her in the New York blast of 9/11, climbing a platform with the sleeves of her blouse up to her elbows, embracing a firefighter around his shoulders, with a bullhorn on her hands saying ”’ I can hear you, and the people who this to us, will hear from us soon.”
Actually, there’s little doubt in my mind that she would do that indeed.
Having said that, Giuliani deserves credit for how he acted on 9/11 (And thereafter), but he’s milking his image for all its worth, and he’s right.
As is Clinton.
I disagree, kreiz. She’s not “entitled” to anything.
She did not (in public anyway) panic and run around in circles. Neither did she do anything notably constructive. Cap’n Ed nailed it. She didn’t “take charge” of anything but the spin.
RPD did the work. Hillary cancelled a speech and made a pain of herself with the professionals who WERE handling the situation, and with others who knew that the situation was being professionally handled. Then she tried to take some rub-off credit for their work.
Glen Johnson’s ass-kissing puff article made me laugh, especially when I hit the line “Along with taking charge while giving the professionals free rein…” NO. She made herself a pain in the ass, inserting herself into an area completely outside of her purview and jurisdiction, wasting their time and resources so she could look good. It’s a safe bet that the professionals handed her off to the PR people to keep her occupied and out of their hair, so they could do their jobs.
She mostly showed she can give good credit-claiming press conference. But we already knew that.
“Guiliani actually was Mayor of N.Y. and in charge of things. Most would agree he was a strong leader after 9/11, an unprecedented horrific attack on U.S. soil.”
Most would agree that he didn’t spend as much time at Ground Zero as was alleged.
Giuliani did a great job–at putting the command disaster center IN the World Trade Center after it had been attacked once. He did a great job of trying to reverse more than 200 years of democracy by wanting to stay on after his term was over (think he wouldnt try that one as president?). He did a great job of not supplying working radios to the fire and police officers. And yet, the job he did as mayor was far superior to what Bush did. Its interesting how everyone here is comparing Hillary to Giuliani, not Bush. Lets not forget that the incident with Bush and the bullhorn took place several days after 9/11, while he was flying around in a plane looking like a scared wabbit, and Cheney had slithered down to his quarters in the seventh circle of hell.
To be fair to Hillary, it wasn’t that bad of a press conference, and she had to give one. She could have done much worse, either direction. I give it a B.
Hillary proved she’s a politician. We weren’t sure about that?
The difference between Giuliani’s actions and Clinton’s are easy to spot. Rudy was the Mayor of NYC on 9/11 and Clinton was in Virginia on 11/30/07 wondering why Bill didn’t answer his phone at 4:30AM that morning.
“I just can see her in the New York blast of 9/11, climbing a platform with the sleeves of her blouse up to her elbows, embracing a firefighter around his shoulders, with a bullhorn on her hands saying ”’ I can hear you, and the people who this to us, will hear from us soon.”
and then saying that as a Mother, she feels the loss more than anyone (except for other demo Mothers and and Oprah watchers),at least that what she implied here IMHO.
I agree that she has a right to play this, and the fawning columnist isn’t her fault, but, I think she goes a bit far - and we’ll see how that plays down the road. Maybe it won’t matter - but it might.
You’re right, Tull- entitled is the wrong word- she earned the right to use the moment. What did she do? She gave a timely press conference, responding cooly and informatively in a moment of crisis. To be sure, she wasn’t Rudy on 9/11- never suggested that. But she was engaged. Before Katrina, I would’ve said that such a presentation was no big deal. But after watching our President be completely out of touch in a time of crisis, I no longer feel that way. Frank’s right- there was little she could physically do, given the lack of proximity. But she was in touch and engaged- something I no longer take for granted.
The sad thing for me is that the performance bar has been lowered to this degree. Because on some level, Tully’s right- a capable, professional pol should be able to do what Clinton did- frankly, in his/her sleep. But her performance becomes dazzling by Katrina standards. And I’m hardly a BDS-er.
Tully, it wasn’t just President Bush. Let’s not forget Governor Blanco’s Katrina performance either. You’re right- Clinton’s performance could’ve been much worse.
I think that is how she hopes to be appearing.
Rudy would have brought in Blackhawks and an entire platoon of Rangers.
on KateStone.WordPress.com
She should have used it to present herself as someone who’s in charge and who remains calm… even under pressure.
Jiminy, the situation was *OVER* with everyone safe by the time she made her first public appearance - why in the world would she not be calm?
The comparison with Giuliani is ludicrous - he was giving multiple daily press conferences for days during an ongoing crisis.
That said, obviously she ought to try and take advantage of this; its just embarrassing reading some of the fawning press coverage.
Hillary gave a talk about the situation. For her to run down to NH would be pandering. Remember Reagan’s speech after the Challenger disaster, that is what just a speech can do.
http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/challenger.asp
She is not looking very presidential in that photo.
It’s not what Hillary did that Althouse, et al are complaining about. It’s the fawning reaction of some in the press and yourself. Hillary did almost nothing. Basically as little as possible without looking bad.
How many phone calls did she really make? We’ll never know. In reality there’s nothing she could do to help the situation and she may have hindered it by making interferring phone calls.
In the end, Hillary did one thing you can always count on, exhibit self-serving behavior. That is an indication of her lack of presidential qualities.
I called a friend in Rochester NH that afternoon to find out what might be being said on local news outlets that the rest of the country wasn’t hearing. I related to people at my office what I’d learned. I was calm. Good golly, I was presidential!
I was calm. Good golly, I was presidential! LOL, JJ. Nice.
[...] The usually brilliant Ed Morrissey reacts to my post. “The normally clear-headed Michael van der Galien makes a very strange argument, claiming an equivalency between Rudy’s handling of 9/11 and [...]