Crafting the New Hillary
She's removing the rough edges, but not everyone's convinced Senator Clinton is warm and fuzzy—or that she's a winner in 2008
The moment she stepped into the room, the crowd of 100 union and environmental activists burst into applause, and Hillary Rodham Clinton began dispensing hugs and air kisses. As photographers followed, Senator Clinton made her way to a front table and blurted out, "Hi, Anna," when she saw labor leader Anna Burger at the podium. At that point, an embarrassed Hillary quickly raised her hand to cover her face as she realized she had interrupted Burger's speech. "Sorry," Clinton said, prompting good-natured laughter from the activists, who had gathered in Washington for a national strategy conference. In her own address, Clinton sounded more like a motivational speaker than a presidential contender, urging the crowd to fight global warming and help reduce U.S. reliance on fossil fuels. "We're makin' progress," she exhorted. "Do not grow weary. You are doing good, as the gospel would say."
Her presentation was devoid of hard edges, contrary to her longtime image among critics as a harridan and a polarizer. Instead, Clinton has begun trying to present a warmer, more genial side—and she's having some success. Forty percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of Hillary Clinton, but 58 percent see her favorably, according to the latest USA Today/Gallup poll. That's an improvement from just a few years ago (chart, Page 26). And she enjoys a substantial lead over her Democratic rivals for the 2008 presidential nomination. In a hypothetical matchup, 36 percent of Democrats support Clinton, while 24 percent back Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, 14 percent support former Vice President Al Gore, and 12 percent endorse former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, according to a recent Washington Post/ABC News survey.
The New York senator's basic strategy is to scare off potential donors and supporters of her competitors by campaigning as the favorite of the Democratic establishment—and the inevitable nominee. After conducting a "vulnerability assessment," Clinton and her advisers have embarked on a two-pronged plan to expand her lead. First, they are emphasizing her strengths—high name identification, a seemingly endless string of endorsements, lots of Washington experience, a reputation for toughness and intelligence, and enormous fundraising potential. Just last week, her campaign announced that it had collected more than $1 million from a seven-day online money drive.
Equally important, Hillaryland, as her team calls itself, is placing more emphasis on her personal qualities—friendliness, a sense of humor, and a willingness to listen—all in a crucial effort to improve her image. "People have dark notions about her. They think the Clintons are all-or-nothing people and that she is vindictive, angry, cold, and calculating," says a prominent Republican strategist. "A man who is cold and calculating is smart and shrewd. A woman who is cold and calculating is considered 'a bitch.'"
Attack. The tough side of Senator Clinton, 59, was evident in her dust-up with Obama a few weeks ago. After Hollywood mogul David Geffen, a former fundraiser for Bill Clinton, endorsed Obama and strongly criticized Bill and Hillary, the empire struck back. Howard Wolfson, Hillary's campaign spokesman, called on Obama to apologize for Geffen's remarks and to return his campaign contributions. Obama refused. "It reminded people that the Clinton instinct always is to attack," says a GOP adviser with close ties to the White House. "They can't help themselves." Many GOP strategists say this image is more than a little harmful to Senator Clinton, especially with men and independent voters. But there was no retreat. "When you're attacked," she declared in Iowa in late January, "you have to deck your opponents. You can count on me to stand my ground and fight back."
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