August 1, 2007 7:01 AM
Clinton's show of hands
View image Photo by M.E. Sprengelmeyer
"Well, but, we're not going to engage in these hypotheticals..."
That's what a crowd of school teachers in Storm Lake, Iowa, could have told Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday night if they wanted to play the role of class clowns.
After all, that was what Clinton told a debate moderator recently when he asked the crowd of candidates on stage to reply to a question by raising their hands.
But alas: it was a missed opportunity for group sarcasm.
Despite her complaints about the dreaded show-of-hands questions during the debates, Clinton apparently understands the value now. When the crowd is too big to get detailed answers from everybody, well, why not save time by asking them to raise their hands?
She did it Tuesday by asking teachers to raise their hands if they had ever had to spend their own money to buy classroom supplies. Virtually every hand shot up. That's not a surprise to anyone. But it gave Clinton just the image she needed to illustrate a point she was trying to make about education funding.
So, complaints or not, maybe Clinton has gotten an education at these debates. She now understands the lesson of television: it's all about the visuals.
Oh, we almost forgot. HERE'S THE STORY on Clinton's appearance in Storm Lake from the 50 cent version of the Rocky Mountain News.
P.S. We're sorry for our unusually far-away photograph of Clinton at the very top of this blog entry, but that's as close as we get to Clinton in Iowa. Unlike other candidates, including Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards, Clinton rarely takes questions from groups of roving reporters here. She does selected interviews with hand-picked Iowa outlets, but during our nearly four months in Iowa she has declined countless interview requests from the Rocky Mountain News. Maybe we'll catch up to her sometime before the Democratic National Convention in Denver -- now just a year away. (Post-P.S. Watch for our latest sit-down interview with another one of the top-tier presidential contenders later this week.)
August 5, 2007
7:34 PM
Julie Fidler Dixon writes:
ME,
Just want you to know I'm enjoying your work. The next time Hillary's campaign calls me (which will no doubt be soon as I'm on the list) I will inquire as to why she is not taking questions from reporters in Iowa. After all, you are paying your dues talking to Iowans month after month and the least we can do is put in a good word for you. Hope to see you on the trail again soon.
August 2, 2007
3:48 PM
Vince Foster's Ghost writes:
I shoulda watched my back ...
August 1, 2007
6:29 PM
DSS writes:
All right, ME. We've praised you for your dedication--so great that you have embedded yourself in Iowa for a year just so you can keep us informed.
But, how could you possibly include in the same piece the words "Clinton, hands and roving"? You sound like Ken Starr's report. Are you really a Republican at heart? I noticed Bill seems to be spending more time in Iowa recently. You may be on to something. Keep us posted on any coming events on this topic. (All right. I agree. Bad pun.)