PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Sen. Hillary Clinton’s uncharacteristic emotional moment on Monday took campaign-weary reporters by surprise.
One minute Clinton, in response to a voter’s question, was talking about who styles her hair, saying some days she has help and other days she does it herself. Those latter days, she joked, are the ones photographers seemed to capture.
Then, her voice started to quaver, and the mob of reporters, jammed into a tiny cafe, many with their heads bowed as they took notes, whipped to attention.
“It’s not easy, and I couldn’t do it if I didn’t passionately believe it was the right thing,” Clinton said, explaining how she keeps campaigning day after day. “This is very personal for me, it’s not just political.”
As she said, “Some of us put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds, and we do it, each one of us, because we care about our country,” her voice cracked, her tone grew hushed and her eyes glistened with tears. The room was silent except for her hushed voice.
“But 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 really haven’t thought that through enough.”
“As tired as I am, and I am, and as difficult as it is to keep up what I try to do on the road, like occasionally exercise and try to eat right, it’s tough when the easiest food is pizza, I just believe so strongly in who we are as a nation, so I’m going to do everything I can to make my case and then voters get to decide.”
All this from the former first lady whose demeanor never cracked even as the world learned the most sordid details of her husband’s infidelity with a White House intern.
“Even I wanted to reach out and give her a hug,” said one reporter who has covered former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton for many years.
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How can a person who cracks under the pressure holds a position like US president? Nothing against her. But apparently, her campaign seems to be on the wrong track. One time, in an interview she tried to justify some terrorist organizations. Now this. Does this show an irreversible trend in her campaign?
- Posted by bemoanThat was FAKE, FAKE, FAKE!
Yeah, we get it: you’re human.
The shame is, this is what folks have asked for–a fake candidate. She’s got so much going for her, but she has to resort to acting such as this. She could even have better policies/ideas (who knows? it’s all so complex that not even policy experts agree on any issue!) than Obama, but since Obama is much more authentic he’ll get more votes.
Heck of a way to pick a prez…
- Posted by WVdoesn'tCOUNTI really didn’t think it was true, but this country really has turned “anti-woman” slowly, but surely since the Regan era. The largest voting block in the U.S. is “white women”…and yet, bashing women is everyone’s favorite past time…what’s next, repeal of the 22nd amendment? Hillary is far more experienced and not a junior senator like Obama. He’ll get about as much “change” done as Al Sharpton has…get real. Besides, anyone endorsed by “Oprah” is definitely NOT getting my vote Mr. Infotainment!
- Posted by FrankIt’s getting a bit too weird in here for me, so here is my last comment:
We won’t get the President we need because most American’s don’t have a clue about what is really going on in this country, much less in the world.
If you vote for Obama, great. He’s smart, but what you’re seeing now is not his real personality. He is not even tempered and gets angry when he doesn’t get his way.
If you vote for Hillary, you will get a passionate person who may or may not get the job done, but she won’t do much harm either.
If you vote for Edwards, you’ll get a President who talks the talk
But if you don’t vote for Obama just because you’re a bigot, you’re a jerk. If you don’t vote for Hillary just because you’re a sexist, you’re also a jerk. And if you don’t vote for Edwards just because he’s rich, you’re just jealous.
We get what we deserve which last time got us Bush. I hope we do better this time around.
- Posted by Susan Connors[...] MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Rudy Giuliani discussed Hillary Clinton’s “emotional moment.” “This is not something I would judge anyone on,” Giuliani said. He then quickly [...]
- Posted by Think Progress » Giuliani invokes 9/11 when asked about Hillary’s tears.Oh, Hillary, some say your tears aren’t real. God knows the truth, but I cried upon hearing you. I was born the same day as you, yet we are very different and paths unalike, I, too, shed tears for our country. I have often thought of you and this day. See at http://www.myspace.com/nobaq. Click blog. Fear not, however.
I ‘m strong but became weary after waiting so many years with trials. After visiting a church as someone’s guest , a surprise singer I’d never heard of showed up and sang a song God sent just for me, “Stand.” I’m led to send to you a song sent for me at another time though not live - “Mary Don’t You Weep.” Try to hear its end. As I found in 1 John 5:14 and about John 11: 32-44, God had another purpose for what’s going on. You shall also later discover you are loved and important beyond your wildest dreams. Bill too. See http://www.nobaq.com for the rest of the story. That;s NOBAQ. Sorry, I didn’t want to wait to get this hopefully to you; update and editing delay due to illness. Forgive any error, yet - Blessings!
- Posted by noba Qyou know she did get emotional, and that’s fine, bill did it all the time. but what really struck me, and brought me back to reality, was the sentences that followed — some are ready, some are not, some know what they’ll do on day one and some don’t. wow, even in that emotional moment, hillary was still able to go on the attack, still able to stay on message — she’s ready and obama is just a dreamer. makes me wonder, really does, how ‘real’ the tears were. in any case, ever since she went negative and started to distort obama’s record and positions, she lost this former supporter.
- Posted by John HI am all for changes and progress when they are possible under skilled and adept leadership. I am quite impressed that Senator Obama can whip the crowd and the American media and foreign press into fervors and a sense of euphoria, but I am not at all convinced that he can tackle the mess left behind after GWB given his scant resume. I think Hillary Clinton is a far more viable and skilled national candidate in spite of her baggage and a husband proned to reminisce about his days rather than looking forward. The point is Hillary Clinton is a different person than her husband - she has done some good for the people in NY.
Another point is that both parties Democrats and Republicans are all beholden to Wall Street so when the former Senator Edwards lectured to the public about how he’ll fight for the common people as a multi-millionaire, I’d be more inclined to believe Warren Buffet than Edwards. Every leading candidate has come calling to Wall Street for money and pledges. The local newspapers have managed to cover each of these candidates’ forays into my hometown to ask for monies.
- Posted by Annwho cares about Oprah? I guess millions of stupid fat people do. People can’t you think for yourselves??? you need Oprah to tell you how to live your life?
- Posted by Manuelaplease wake up, exercise, lose some weight and look at how the rest of the civilized world is leaving their lives. America is heading in the wrong direction at the speed of life. people live their lives stuck to their television sets and allow the television and media to dictate their lives.
Oprah is an idiot who forgot how hard it was for a woman to get to the poweer. I have no respect for her anylonger since she turned her back on Hillary. she should have sided with the women. but she is such a typical stupid woman, she sides with the men, typical women. instead of us smart women to unite together and be strong and unite againts the hurt we got from men, we turn against each other and kiss us the guys who hurt us. or maybe Oprah couldn’t stand the fact that there might be a woman out there more powerful than she is. I have no respect for Oprah what’s so ever. she is an big time idiot.
Obama stole all Hillary ideas and now he is turning into amjor jerk. let’snot forget that he put her down on national television many times. I don’t like him and I don;t trust him. Hillary will make one good president, but I guess this country is way behind the rest of the world to allwo a woman to lead. This country is pretty sexist so I am not surprised you will vote for a black guy who is inexperienced rather than vote for a perfectly good experienced candidate who is a woman. Well, I think you guys are making a big mistake for voting for Obama. On the day when you will hav eto vote for your president, the majority of people will vote for the white republican guy, and hence one more time there will be 8 years of long recession and republican, conservative and narrow-minded era.
wake up and smell the coffee and vote for the right candidate who can bring the country back to the glory days of Clinton when the economy was booming and things were good.
and one more thing, so what Bil cheated on Hilary, how many men out there cheat on their wives on daily basis? or how many physically abuse their wives? please wake up to reality. what’s wores cheating on your wive or abusing her phisycally or emotionally??? please there is at least one cas eof abuse in every single relationship in this country. but how do you go on with yourrelationships?? you forgive and learn and go on, because you need each other for different reasons, money, children etc. so think straight before you vote for the wrong candidate just because stupid Oprah said so. Oprah please.. I have no respect for her what’s so ever and I am a smart engineer and very educated and well traveled woman. but I know how this world turns and I hate to see smart women turning against themselves just because of jealousy. shame on Oprah. have no respect for her.
I’m ok with the tears. Whatever. She got emotional. She’s exhausted. That’s fine. But when she went from the tears into the “someone who’s ready from day one” thing… well… then she REALLY lost me. That made the whole thing seem really insincere.
- Posted by Guy Incognitohttp://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1 /7/181142/9115/816/432420
“Hillary channels Rudy Hotlist
by kos
Mon Jan 07, 2008 at 06:14:53 PM EST
As you can see in the two posts below this one, the wheels are off the Clinton bandwagon. She faces an epic Obama surge with few options to stem the bleeding. But just when I was feeling sorry for her, she has to morph into Giuliani:
Facing the prospect of defeat in tomorrow’s primary, Hillary Clinton just made her strongest suggestion yet that the next president may face a terrorist attack – and that she would be the best person to handle it.
She pointed out that the day after Gordon Brown took office as the British prime minister, there was a failed attempt at a double bombing in London and Glasgow.
“I don’t think it was by accident that Al Qaeda decided to test the new prime minister,” she said. “They watch our elections as closely as we do, maybe more closely than some of our fellows citizens do…. Let’s not forget you’re hiring a president not just to do what a candidate says during the election, you want a president to be there when the chips are down.”
The scary terrorists will attack us if we don’t elect Hillary! Or something.
An act of desperation for a campaign dead in the water.”
- Posted by Duck SoupYes yes the US is ready for a woman president, but please NOT THAT ONE, please…………….
- Posted by beaumanoirOh PU-LEEZE!
Don’t believe the hype. Here are the facts:
Hillary (even by her own testimony in this video) along with everyone else running with the notion that they are very passionate about what they stand for and want for the country. Taking her at her own word, then the “passion” she feels has apparently existed since she started this campaign, so that is certainly not the basis for these tears. So what is the difference then and now? It’s the “reality check” that she called for during the debates. She got it this morning when the polls came out showing a double digit lead for Obama. THAT is the only difference–not her passion. gimme a break.
Secondly, she has always maintained that it’s a great slate of democratic candidates this year and any of them will turn around the blunders of the bush administration. she also said in her speech after the Iowa caucuses she said she believes that there WILL be a democrat in the white house. That being said, whether it’s her or one of the other democratic candidates in the white house, her statement in this video about us being set back is not in keeping with her stated position about the democratic slate. Does she believe what she said about the great and capable slate of candidates or does she believe that SHE is the only one great and capable. I submit to you that the latter is true, and thus the tears–because she is having to deal with unexpected defeat. period.
I am a compassionate person, but I’m not gullible! This is a woman insisting that SHE is the one who is tough enough to deal with republicans and ready to lead on day one, yet, “day one” hasn’t even come close and she’s crying under pressure.
I think I’m gonna hurl!
- Posted by mysistagirlWhen you are done being distracted by the “emotion” think about what she actually said, ” . . .I don’t want to see us all fall back.”
There are some capable people running this time and to suggest that electing anyone but her is going to lapse us backward strikes me as arrogant.
I am surprised by Jennifer’s comment. People don’t turn away from Hillary because she is a woman or the country is not ready for a woman president. They turn away from her because they do not like her. If anything, there is a hard core constituency that supports her because she is a woman. It’s becoming increasingly clear that she is not attracting much support beyond that first-woman-president club. Sexism has nothing to do with it.
I also like her comment about all the opportunity she has been afforded. Like the opportunity to bill for 27 hours of work in a 24 hour day? Ruthless ambition is not something to be rewarded.
- Posted by brooks of sheffieldDoes anyone remember Bob Dole, the man who broke into tears in just about every sentence?
- Posted by AnnThis isn’t England and Hill’s no Maggie Thatcher. To be President of the most Powerful, Influential, Country in the WORLD - indeed you must be a man. Sending folks into harms way is not a job for mothers. I hope she wins the dem. ticket, then they are sure to have wasted their electoral position and the Republicans can retain the White House…
- Posted by scottAmerica voting for a president named HUSSEIN OBAMA? MY FOOT!
- Posted by benildaFACT #1: Ms. Clinton tears up because campaigning is hard on her.
FACT #2: Ms. Clinton has never teared up, much less apologized or felt sorry about her vote to support the IRAQ WAR.
She can cry because of her own suffering, but she can’t cry for the suffering of others.
Her emotional priorities are clear…
And there are still those who say she is “experienced” & “competent”???
- Posted by EvanelPress is playing it both ways: Hillary too strong, where is her human side?
- Posted by OregonNow Hillary is too weak- how can she show any emotions? Of cause, what ever Barack does – is just great!!! Hip-hip- hooray!!!
People, use your head to choose president. Remember, the primary process is to find the best candidate TO BE ELECTED PRESIDENT, not the most charismatic Democrat to be on the cover of GQ magazine.
I’m glad Hillary showed some emotion, because some people was saying she has no emotions and project herself as being very cold, well now she’s being critized for showing this emotion, either ways she goes, she’s being critized, that’s not fair at all, we never know what’s in a person’s heart, only God can judge, to say she was faking is wrong as well, people who make statments like these may have a little cold streak themselves, and having no compassion for people’s feelings, like the old saying “When I down, kick me down further”, that’s the old american way!
Hillary, hold your head up high, and don’t worry about what people say or do, because they truly don’t have no sense of compassion when a person shows emotions or hurt. I believe Hillary is still a strong enough and experienced person to lead this country in the right direction. I believe that everyone should show their human once in a while, it will do us some good in the long-term.
- Posted by Darrell Prunty