February 15, 2008

Good advice she won't take

Posted by: Chris

Conservatives love to give Hillary Clinton advice, even though they can't stand her. But Peggy Noonan had a suggestion today for the flailing former frontrunner that, unfortunately for Hillary, she'd never take:

She has taken to raising boxing gloves and waving them triumphantly from the podium. Is this a fruitful way to go? It's her way, bluster and combat. … But imagine if she tried honesty and humility. When everyone in America knows you're in a dreadful position, admit you're in a dreadful position. Don't lie about it and make them roll their eyes, tell the truth and make them blink.

As in: "Look, let's be frank. A lot of politics is spin, for reasons we can all write books about. I'm as guilty as anyone else. But right now I'm in the fight of my life, and right now I'm not winning. I'm up against an opponent who's classy and accomplished and who has captured the public imagination. I've had some trouble doing that. I'm not one of those people you think of when you hear a phrase like 'the romance of history.' But I think I bring some things to the table that I haven't quite managed to explain. I think I've got a case to be made that I haven't quite succeeded in making. And I'm going to ask you for one more try. Will you listen? And if I convince you, will you help me? Because I need your help."

Noonan goes farther even than Hillary needs to.  I think this would be enough:

"Look, let's be frank. A lot of politics is spin, for reasons we can all write books about. I'm as guilty as anyone else. But right now I'm in the fight of my life. I'm up against an opponent who's classy and articulate and who has captured the public imagination. I'm not the kind of person to give a speech that will stop the show. But I bring some things to the table that I think are even more important. I've got a case to be made, and I ask you to hear me out. Will you listen? And if I convince you, will you help me? Because I need your help."

We've already seen how voters -- especially white women -- rally to Hillary's side when she shows humility and appears sympathetic. No tears are necessary, and would most likely backfire. But imagine how different that rally in Texas on Tuesday night, when Clinton completely ignored her Potomac Primary thumping, would have been if she had taken it down a notch.

Instead of sounding shrill and a bit Howard Dean whoopish, Hillary could have reached out in a more personal way. Maybe that wasn't the occasion, since the crowd was so huge, but Noonan's idea is a very good one.

Tags: Hillary Clinton, Peggy Noonan