Hearing Hillary Harrowing

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Away visiting friends the last few days, I've been using GoToMyPC.com to access the video-capture capabilities of my home desktop. While it works well [unpaid testimonial] and lets me view the video once I've moved it to an editing board, for some reason while tuning in live to a show, the screen-within-a-screen is black. Thus, in "watching" Today this morning live, I could only hear, but not see, the segment on last night's Dem debate in New Hampshire.

But the ears-only experience was actually edifying. It permitted me to focus entirely on Hillary's voice, undistracted by her image. It's no revelation to say that Clinton's tone is anything but mellifluous. And though this was not Hillary at her nails-on-chalkboard worst, even so one can imagine Americans sitting at home asking themselves "do I want to listen to this for the next four years?" The clip I've provided includes three instances of Hillary speaking seriously on various issues. What's worse in some ways, is that it is followed by two instances of Clinton laughter. There is something about her forced giggle that is every bit as grating as Hillary in hectoring mode. Judge for yourself.

View and listen here.

Bottom line: Carl Bernstein, author of a recent Hillary bio, portrays Clinton as "inauthentic." Here is auditory proof thereof.

BONUS COVERAGE: Chewing over the debate with Tim Russert, Matt Lauer left little doubt he feels Hillary's obstinate refusal to acknowledge that her vote to authorize the war was a mistake is hurting her politically.

"TODAY" CO-HOST MATT LAUER: What surprises me, by the fact that Senator Clinton has still not been willing to say anything close to that it was a mistake to cast that original 2002 vote to authorize the war, she gets the subject to come up over and over again. So do you think this strategy is backfiring?

NBC WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF HOST TIM RUSSERT: She won't let go of it, Matt. She thinks that to admit a mistake would be a sign of weakness. But she's standing next to Edwards, Dodd and Biden who have all said we're sorry, so sorry [nice Brenda Lee allusion], and Obama who was against it from the very beginning. The issue continues to be raised, and haunt her candidacy in the Democratic primary, but she's thinking general election, strength against a Republican candidate on a national security issue.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net