Edwards Advisor: Hillary Should Have Emphasized Her 'Warmth and Likability'

February 27th, 2008 8:18 PM

Of all the qualities Hillary might have emphasized to her advantage, can you imagine basing her campaign on her "warmth" and "likability"? Chris Kofinis can. The former communications director of the John Edwards campaign appeared on Tucker Carlson's show this evening.

Kofinis offered his only-slightly premature post mortem of the Clinton campaign.

CHRIS KOFINIS: I think the problem was for the Clinton campaign, the argument about focusing on experience from the get-go, you know "ready to lead," I think that was just the wrong idea. I mean, she's been in Washington for 15 years, she's the former First Lady, she's a senator from New York. She's incredibly well-respected, incredibly knowledgeable, incredibly substantive. She didn't have to focus on her experience.

I mean it was actually the other strategy which has been discussed in the various news reports about focusing on her likability, her humanness, her compassion and her real warmth, I think that would have been a much smarter strategy in the long run.

You can't buy this kind of straight man. Tucker jumped on the hanging curve.

TUCKER CARLSON: Wouldn't she have to be warm in order to, to sell that?

KOFINIS: Oh, stop, stop.

Fine, we'll stop already, and let it speak for itself.