Hillary's Media Management

October 13th, 2006 1:10 PM

New York senator Hillary Clinton has figured out how to keep the public from learning what her views are. If she can keep it up for another two years, she has a shot at reclaiming the White House. Amanda B. Carpenter at Human Events says Hillary "answers nearly all on-the-spot questions with a variation of 'I don’t know'" in order to prevent "coverage of her views on any issues on which she has not sought coverage."

Reporters have learned not to approach Sen. Clinton in the halls of the Capitol. Experienced journalists have found that she answers nearly all on-the-spot questions with a variation of “I don’t know”—a safe answer for her that renders the interviews useless, and prevents coverage of her views on any issues on which she has not sought coverage.

After a vote she breezes past reporters to a car waiting outside, avoiding any interviews. Clinton is not impolite, but makes it very clear she is unwilling to chat. When I asked her if she would use any of her personal money for her campaign, she completely avoided eye contact with me, although we were only a few inches from each other. Other reporters stood watching, wondering if this would be a rare occasion to get a few quotes from her.

Not only did she not answer the question, she didn’t even offer a greeting. She continued walking steadily to her car. Clinton kept her eyes straight ahead, coolly slipped on a pair of sunglasses, and said, “Oh, I have no idea.”

This behavior is not normal for a senator. Reporters often wait at approved “stakeouts” for senators to pass by and briskly flag down a relevant lawmaker for a few questions. Most of the senators seem to enjoy it this, as communicating with the media is a key part of their job.