When thinking of Hillary Clinton, do the adjectives "moderate" and "spontaneous" spring to mind? They do for Joe Klein, assigned by Time magazine to write its cover-story profile of her last week.
Joe Scarborough let Klein's characterization slide this morning. But when Klein played the "spontaneous" card on last night's "Hardball," Chris Matthews devastated him with a clip of Hillary at her wooden worst [second video link, at foot].
Klein offered his assessment during the 8:30 AM ET half-hour of today's "Morning Joe.
View video here.
Here was Joe on today's Morning Joe.
JOE KLEIN: The interesting thing about the two of them [Bill and Hillary] is that I've known them for twenty years. They're brilliant. I'm probably from that same part of the political jungle: moderate sorts.
Joe's definition of a moderate: someone who agrees with his liberal opinions. He continued.
KLEIN: The interesting thing about this campaign is [notice how Joe began both statements? Interesting!] that she's seeming more human and even occasionally a bit spontaneous. She's gotten a lot better at politics. I used to think she was a mortal stiff on the stump. And now she knows how to use her voice; she modulates it.
Knows how to use her voice? Modulates it? Spontaneous? Doesn't Joe remember what happened to him on yesterday's "Hardball" when he trotted out the same theory?
CHRIS MATTHEWS: So you don't get the idea that this campaign's being too tightly micro-managed to avoid any spontaneity? You don't see that?
KLEIN: No, I think she's actually more spontaneous than I've seen her in the past. She certainly has been with me.
Unfortunately for Joe, Chris had cued up a clip of Hillary on the stump, leading a friendly Iowa crowd in a responsive recital of her new campaign slogan: Turn Up the Heat! This was to spontaneity and voice modulation what Dr. Kevorkian is to life-prolonging medicine.
I urge those of stout constitution to view the video of Hillary here.
Give Chris credit for keeping a straight face as he asked Klein: "Joe, would you think that would be Hillary back in her groove, then?"
A sheepish Klein had to admit: "Ah, no I don't. I think that she's quite clearly not a very good big-room speaker."
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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}}---> Spontaneous Hillary
November 14, 2007 - 10:10 ET by Cool ArrowEasy to be spontaneous when you know the questions in advance.
Yes, Hillary found it
November 14, 2007 - 10:12 ET by Mark FinkelsteinYes, Hillary found it interesting that out on the stump, the global warming question always seems to come from young people ;-)
I also like hill's use
November 14, 2007 - 10:58 ET by MidAmericaI also like hill's use of the 'old woman' story. The old woman just wants to live to see a woman president. Since the old woman is already really old then this is probably her last presidential election. If it doesn't happen this time she won't live to see it happen. Of course this is aimed at women voters trying to shame them into voting for a 'woman' so as not to send this poor old lady to her grave without living to see a dream she has had all her life.
OId Joke
November 14, 2007 - 12:10 ET by Hunter12That reminds me of the joke about the staunch old Democrat spinster who wanted to be buried in Chicago or Boston so she could stay active in politics with the party she loved.
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
HRC has learned her lessons
November 14, 2007 - 16:07 ET by motherbeltHRC has learned her lessons well at the knee of the Master. For every "crisis" he claimed, Bill had a story about someone coming up to him somewhere, grabbing his hand and begging him to do something about it.
}}---> Hey Klein
November 14, 2007 - 10:12 ET by Cool ArrowHow's she doing with that stepson your book pointed to?
He left out the best part,
November 14, 2007 - 10:15 ET by motherbeltHe left out the best part, with HRC's voice rising more and more as she herself yelled out "Turn up the heat!!"
She is still wooden....whatever she is trying to rouse the audience to, you can see her "working" the whole time.
Doug Giles at townhall.com put it very well when he talks about her soulless, monotonous monologues.
I watch Dancing With the Stars, and last week the head judge told one of the celebs...youve got the moves right but there's no life. You can't just put this arm here, that leg there, kick on this beat or that, and think it's going to work.
That's what HRC does; arm out to make this point, pointing fist for that, sweeping gesture here, nodding there...it's all choreographed. But it doesn't "work."
I have seen high school
November 14, 2007 - 13:41 ET by stratmanI have seen high school productions of King Lear with more believable acting and stage presence.
Was she auditioning for the role of Joan Crawford in the remake of Mommy Dearest? That performance was a real stinkeroo. Hilary needs to get some acting lessons by a few of her Hollywood supporters. I fear, though, she will be eternally voice modulation handicapped no matter what lessons received even if she were to learn how not to do the 'robot' dance while talking. (It looked like Hilary learned her movement cues from that robot woman in the current Heineken draft keg commercial, except for the wiggle at the end!)
I cringe at the thought of suffering through State of the Union addresses if Hilary becomes president.
Killing them with kindness isn't working. Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.
A sheepish Klein had to
November 14, 2007 - 10:40 ET by MidAmericaA sheepish Klein had to admit: "Ah, no I don't. I think that she's quite clearly not a very good big-room speaker."
I imagine she's better in a small intimate setting where she can wear her leather bustiere, platform boots and whip.
The only thing sponaneous
November 14, 2007 - 11:28 ET by Jack BauerThe only thing spontaneous about Mrs Clinton would be the likelihood of her combusting on stage the next time someone asks her a "tough" question in public.
Which is why the chance of that happening with this medai is uh. zero.
Sorry Joe. You got your
November 14, 2007 - 11:39 ET by sguild2Sorry Joe. You got your words mixed again. I'm sure you meant to use the words devious and evasive to describe Queen Hillary. Or how about scripted and robotic? How about callous and corrupt? Wow, any of these words fits Hillary to a tee.
Is it just me
November 14, 2007 - 11:42 ET by Matthew Sheffieldor is Klein going for the Santa Claus look?
Joe and I prefer to call it
November 14, 2007 - 11:46 ET by Mark FinkelsteinJoe and I prefer to call it the Chanukah Klaus look ;-)
Big Room Speaker
November 14, 2007 - 14:41 ET by Jimbo"She's not a good "big room" speaker".
Two thoughts.
First, if elected President, the world is a pretty "big room".
Secondly, when President Bush doesn't "speak well", he is villified as being an idiot.
And on and on we go....
PS - this speech is against the Republicans, not against her Democratic primary opponents. She's already written them off. Big mistake in my opinion. She doesn't have the nomination in the bag yet, and secondly, why play your General Election hand when you are ove a year from the polls? So much will change that she is putting plenty out there to be used against her. She's so politically savvy, yet so damn stupid.
Leon says "By the way, I'm not afraid of fat people, I'm repulsed"
Truth Monger Says - "Both are religions [Christianity & Islam], yes - with the same percentage of terrorists."
Yes, the same Joe Klein who
November 14, 2007 - 14:55 ET by fitzfongYes, the same Joe Klein who taught us in Primary Colors that it's OK to destroy people and sell out all your principles as long as a Democrat gets elected President. Back in your hole, anonymous.