In States With The First 2016 Primaries, Democrats Ask: Where’s Hillary?

[Purveyor]

By Philip Rucker March 17 at 6:07 PM

In Iowa, Democrats want to see Hillary Rodham Clinton mingling in their neighborhood coffee shops, answering their questions and sharing laughs. In New Hampshire, they expect her on their living-room couches, listening to their tales of struggle. In South Carolina, they’re eager to hold hands with her and pray together.

And in each of the early presidential primary and caucus states, Democratic activists are asking the same question: Where is Hillary?

As Clinton slow-walks her way into the 2016 presidential race, many of the Democratic front-runner’s most active supporters are concerned that she’s not yet doing the kind of face-to-face politicking that is well underway by a cast of a dozen or more likely Republican candidates.

Clinton’s absence has stoked unease among her impatient supporters, who also worry about her reputation as someone uncomfortable with the nitty-gritty of retail campaigning.

[delrem]

1. From my experience, politicians rarely if ever do that.

I mean "... in their neighborhood coffee shops, answering their questions and sharing laughs. ... on their living-room couches, listening to their tales of struggle... hold(ing) hands ...and pray(ing) together."

Not in my districts (but I'm not a USian). That's a homey folksy image that politicians of course want to nurture and have people believe in, but face it, 99.99...% of voters are strangers. The appearances of politicians, esp. just before and during campaigns, is 100% orchestrated and there's hardly any interaction even with the gotv volunteers in the different precincts and ridings. OK, the politician might be scheduled to appear in a homey setting and even with a hard-core gotv group, but even in that case the appearance is going to be very strictly monitored, top-down proprieties enforced. Esp. in a national campaign where 10's of millions of votes are being courted.

Still, I wonder why Mary Matalin's creepy husband is being trotted out now. Both Mary and James are creepy opportunists. Presentation is everything and I wonder about the creepy right-wing handlers that some politicians suit themselves up with.

[NashuaDW]

5. It DOES happen

delrem, that kind of thing absolutely happens in New Hampshire.

We expect candidates (from both parties) to hold town hall meetings where 10 - 20 people show up, stop by dinner parties where 5 or 6 families are present.

We expect to see them at the small town dump on Saturday morning.

We REQUIRE them to stop by the diner and talk to people having breakfast.

I've never been in Iowa during campaign season but I know in NH these things are expected.

[blkmusclmachine]

2. She'll stoop to the peons level when the time suits her needs, and not a second before...

[merrily]

3. IMO, Dems are nuts to put all their Presidential eggs in one basket.

I would think that even if Hillary were not the one basket.

[DonCoquixote]

4. the elephant in the room

is that whatever she may be as a politician, Hillary is an awful campaigner that turns people off when she opens her mouth, the doubles down on the offense. Case in point the whole "we're broke biz" case in point two "I want them to see my emails." The fact is, she is not going to say anythign until the last second, because it will ensure that no one pulls out for a Liza Warren or Martin O' Malley after Hillary does yet another gaffe. As long as the Pacs can keep counting the money generated by the "hillary is the winner" crowd, she is winning, unable to do a gaffe that might make one SEEK an Obama equivalent.

Of course, it is easy to imagine her beating a Jeb, because even if some GOP voters liek him, he,like Mitt, is hated by many in his own party, but if a Scott walker runs, well, it is not Hillary vs Scott walker, it is Hillary versus all the dirty tricks the Kochs can buy, and then , we have a problem, because the Kochs can BUY the media outright. Then, we are fucked. Sad part is, the left will get blamed.

[quadrature]

6. after a HRC visit,... do her poll-numbers go up or down? ...nt

[frylock]

7. Clinton is busy pulling in contributions before she commits..

It's All Politics The Rules Don't Apply To Hillary Clinton ... Or Any Of The Other Un-Candidates

It's easier and more lucrative to be an un-candidate. Under federal law, candidates can't do things these un-candidates are doing right now — notably, traveling on donors' private planes and soliciting six- and seven-figure contributions for the treasuries of friendly Super PACs.

[Purveyor]

8. This deserves a OP of its own so I started one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251399519

[frylock]

9. knr'd!

Heard about it on NPR while driving home from work the other day.