Dang, it’s too bad you weren’t with my friend Jim and me a few minutes ago. We were discussing this very thing while walking past the White House on the way back from the McDonald’s that Bill Clinton’s security detail used to have to shut down every time Bill wanted to go get a Big Mac. Say what you want about the Bill Clinton White House, but it was fun. 
Mrs. Clinton is smart and has established herself as a tough senator. She really has worked hard to choreograph her way to where she is now. And she benefits a lot from Bill’s charisma. More importantly, she’s a fundraising powerhouse.
The things you see on the news involving a politician or other government official are scripted, right down to whether they wear a suit or roll up their sleeves and go tieless. Spontaneity is not something Washington risks. Teams carefully craft every single media event, every press release.
How well a politician can pull off sounding genuine while reading the words that others wrote for him or her is more a matter of acting ability and successful media training than the true measure of their character or personal warmth. Sometimes people are their real selves at media events. But other times, I’ve seen funny and friendly personalities come off stiff and cold hearted people come off as warm and sweet as a derby pie fresh out of the oven.
I don’t really know many personal anecdotes about Mrs. Clinton, but friends have dealt with Dole and Cheney and I produced a video news release with Gore, and the three of them are actually pretty funny and more personable in a smaller setting than they appear to be at larger media events.
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