Softening Hillary's Image Takes Precedence Over Campaign Shakeup

With the January 3 Iowa caucuses fast approaching, Hillary Clinton is now being forced to publicly disguise hardball opposition research and other bare-knuckled combat tactics, leaving visible only bland themes portraying her as a loving daughter and warm mother.

A series of risky moves by the Clinton campaign earlier in December provoked a hostile public reaction, as aides raised the issue of Barack Obama's past cocaine use and mocked Obama's kindergarten ambitions to be president. Clinton herself announced plans to attack Obama on December 3 with the boast, "now the fun begins."

The campaign's current shift towards showcasing Clinton's warm and fuzzy side precludes, at least through the January 8 New Hampshire primary, any brutal staff shake up which would highlight the rough side of the Clinton operation, according to campaign sources.

Sources inside the campaign have voiced criticism of Clinton's chief adviser, Mark Penn, contending that he designed a strategy more appropriate for an incumbent seeking re-election than for a candidate in a wide-open primary competition. Penn, campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe and others all said, however, that for the moment, Penn's position is secure.

The tensions within the campaign, which have reportedly boiled over into harsh exchanges between Penn and Communications Director Howard Wolfson, are widely seen as likely to enhance the influence of long-time Clinton loyalist Harold Ickes. Ickes has not, at least until now, publicly been among those at the top of the campaign pyramid, which includes Penn, media consultant Mandy Grunwald, Wolfson and campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle.

However, the campaign's currently tethered circumstances mean that it is unlikely there will be public staff changes. Clinton campaign aides have also privately voiced frustration at how those same circumstances have rendered them unable to make full and open use of their aggressive skills at a time when Hillary's bid for the nomination have lost momentum.

In polls of Democratic voters, Clinton aides noted, she has won high marks for her toughness, electability, and her stands on such key issues as health care and Iraq. Her weakest points, however, are on voter assessments of her likeability, her candor and her honesty.

Neither staff firings nor tough attacks on Obama fit the image the Clinton campaign now wants to present of the candidate as a family-oriented, caring and empathetic candidate determined to address social problems.

Clinton earlier this month began attacking Obama's record in the Illinois State Senate (his
"present" votes on abortion and gun control, for example, rather than aye or nay), his health care plan which does not provide universal coverage, and his failure to vote on a key U.S. Senate Iran resolution.

In contrast, the former First Lady is now running ads featuring appearances with her mother, Dorothy Rodham, and her daughter Chelsea, as admiring women comment on how beautiful her family is.

"I'm thrilled that I have my mother and my daughter with me tonight," Hillary declares at the start of the ad:

You know, as I travel around I see so many families who share the same values I was brought up with. My mom taught me to stand up for myself and to stand up for those who can't do it on their own. I'm proud to live by those values. But what I'm most proud of is knowing who I've passed them on to.

In another new spot, Hillary's mother declares:

What I would like people to know about Hillary is what a good person she is....She never was envious of anybody -- she was helpful. And she's continued that with her adult life with helping other women. She has empathy for other people's unfortunate circumstances. I've always admired that because it isn't always true of people.

The goal of these spots is to transform the image of Hillary, from what the Republican National Committee's website describes as, "Calculating, Divisive." The website then quotes the American Prospect editor Robert Kuttner - "Everything She Does Seems Calculating, Poll-Tested, And Money-Driven" - and Time's Ana Marie Cox -- "She's The Most Calculating Person In Modern Politics."

Comments

[LeeFromVA]

07:38 PM on 12/17/2007

Hillary is making some bizzare mistakes in her campaign. Hasn't she been through this before? I thought we could count on her not to make mistakes, but just the opposite is true. I think she is old-school in her approach. If she had kept her mouth shut and never attacked anyone, she would still be in the running in Iowa. And if she had continued to keep her mouth shut, she may have overcome and went back on top. But she is incapable of doing or saying nothing. She gets defensive and comes out punching and it's not becoming for her. In Iowa she'll probably come in 3rd or worse, and then she's done. Good riddance.

[Phrank]

05:11 PM on 12/17/2007

Sometimes an image is a fair representation of reality. And no amount of "softening" will help. She might benefit from a new makeup person, however. Right now she looks like Tammy Faye without the charm. Phrank

[SeanGardner]

03:39 PM on 12/17/2007

Bob Kerry, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton, has been attacked for trying to pretend his so-called compliment of Obama, was not a smear. It was a smear. Here is the next controversy for the Clinton Campaign: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/12/bob_kerrey_praises_barack_hussein_obama/

[Bocababs]

02:09 PM on 12/17/2007

For a variety of reasons I am in the Hillary Camp. Did I write her Website on Friday and tell them to CAN Mark Penn? -- Yes, I did. I went a step further and told them to bring back Paul Begala and James Carville...whatever it takes to run a more positive campaign.

I can see where 2004 emboldened the Democrats not to take it laying down this time, but relax...all of you. There will be plenty of time to get out our own ammunition in the general election, once we know the nominees of both parties.

[NABNYC]

02:04 PM on 12/17/2007

I understand it's all a show, but the Hillary campaign is reaching new lows. What is wrong with this woman? Is she completely incapable of making any decisions? This is beginning to look a lot like the Kerry campaign: a man with a long liberal record decides to run as a mass-murderer free-fire warrior - Rambo - to try to appeal to the uber right wing. Who is in charge of the Democratic party? Oh that's right. The corporations.

Hillary Clinton has made one terrible decision after the next. The first bad decision was to be very sneaky and try to run on her husband's record instead of her own. So all of a sudden the former big-law firm corporate attorney is claiming she was the governor, she was the president -- in secret. "When we were in the governor's mansion, we used our office to do whatever." "When we were in the white house, we used our position to do whatever."

She was the wife, not the governor, not the president. Her refusal to run on her own history, skills, talents, or ideas, makes her look like the little lady hiding behind her husband, and certainly incapable of being president.

She probably has equal abilities to the other candidates. But by trying to run on her husband's record, she makes it appear she has no abilities.

I saw her this week-end giving "talks" instead of speeches, a softened voice, dewey-eyed references to her wonderful mother and daughter. So phoney.

Run for office or go home. Hillary is a disgrace. I don't think she's made even one decision on her own. She just does what her corporate owners tell her to do.

I guess when you decide you're going to be Rupert's Girl, it's inevitable that you will end up with a very bad reputation.

Hillary Clinton: Wrong on Iraq, wrong for America.

[Truth789]

01:43 PM on 12/17/2007

It's very important too that people see the real side of Hillary. She is a good person.

[Truth789]

01:38 PM on 12/17/2007

She has done a lot of good for people. I am voting for Hillary.

[Kane]

12:47 PM on 12/17/2007

For a variety of reasons, I've always been excited about the prospect of having a woman leading the country. But the more that I saw of Hillary, I became convinced that she should not be the first woman president.

In my mind, there should be no questioning the merit of the first woman president, but with Hillary there's always that shadow of Bill. And when she speaks about the issues, there's no heart or passion of a woman, instead Hillary comes across as manufactured. Oftentimes I will see women leaders from around the world, and they are beloved by the people. That's what I want for our first woman president. Perhaps my standards are too high.

[May2002]

11:32 AM on 12/17/2007

Softening Hillary's image?

Is she a product needing a marketing makeover?

This is exactly the opposite we voters want.

We want an authentic leader who says what he means, means what he says.

We don't need a phony act--everything is done and said for the sake of plotting our votes.

We voters live in the commercial world for so long that we can differentiate a real deal and a fake power hungry scheme.

Sorry, Hillary it is too late for you to pretend being someone else.

Actually, as you stated in your early campaign "Voters don't know me."

Yes, we don't know you because you have never been real to us. Your phony act to win our votes has always made us feel uncomfortable and want to vomit.

[Purple Girl]

09:13 AM on 12/17/2007

I have no doubt Hillary is genuine. I even think she is a likeable person. but I hate her political decisions. I hate the fact she has become one of the boys, just to play their game. First, you don't have to be a boy to play with the boys (infact you offer the group more by being a normal female). Second- you don't play the boys game- you make the boys play up to your game. Many men are intimadated of women, many dislike or devalue women - we have used this to our advantage in the past- why not know.
Hillary thinks she can win by playing inside the boys box. Unfortunately, that makes her captive within it. She is not the female leader I was envisioning.She's just one of the boys.

[geobushono]

08:06 AM on 12/17/2007

I love the pic.....hillary down at the coffee shop having a chat with the gals.....certainly not disrupting the hen party by talking about how she feels about the necessity to women and children.

[VivaZapata]

06:34 AM on 12/17/2007

They may succeed in softening her image, but how do they remove those ground-in, heavy duty grease marks from all that triangulating trucking?

[SeanGardner]

04:39 AM on 12/17/2007

A HUFFPO poster name bigtimernc, posted this last week:

"...its not the 35 years of experience that turn me off with Hillary Clinton, its the lack of quality it has. Let me explain: In five years as the most influential Democrat in the Senate, Hillary has managed to get the following laws and resolutions enacted:

Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site

Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month

Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor

Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall

Name courthouse after James L. Watson

Name post office after John A. O'Shea

Designate August 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day

Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day

Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death

Congratulate the Syracuse University Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.

Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins
Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship

Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program

Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda

Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death

Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty.

- Only five of Clinton's bills are "substantive":

Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11

Pay for city projects in response to 9/11

Assist landmine victims in other countries

Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care

Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the Wilderness Preservation System
_________________________

As bigtimernc pointed out above, Hillary does have "experience" - she doesn't have it in areas that she and her handlers are claiming.

[Kane]

04:26 AM on 12/17/2007

After fifteen years, it has finally dawned on Hillary and her team that maybe it isn't just the republicans who see her as cold and calculating.

Now with only two weeks before the Iowa caucus, Hillary will attempt to sell herself as being the warm and fuzzy candidate. The Tickle Me Elmo with "experience".

Oh yeah, that's gonna work.

[TimeForChange]

01:23 AM on 12/17/2007

Hellary Robberbaron Corporatist (HRC) 2008? No way! If Hellary was a truthful person, she wouldn't be trying to "change" herself to get votes. Hellary & Bill's campaign contributors, her/his voting records & their investments say everything that needs to be said about them. They have no ethics or morality. I'd rather not vote than go to Hellery in 2008.

PS: There's a joke going around. If the Democrats are suicidal enough to nominate her, Kellogg's already has a breakfast cereal ready to come out to commemorate the Clintons -- it's called Cereal Adulterers.