It Took A Village To Get Hillary To Do SNL



We don't want to blow our own horn, but we cautioned Senator Hillary Clinton to do SNL in January 2007. She didn't. And it is probably too late to save her campaign. Here is what we wrote more than one year ago:

"This may or may not work in her favor. Certainly, the main campaign theme of Clinton 2008 will be 'Effectiveness,' as opposed to McCain's 'Character.' This is, of course, a variation of the time honored battle between the Red-state's emphasis on Virtue (Religion, Righteousness, Manliness) as opposed to the Blue-states emphasis on Sophistication (Travel, Education, Taste). Hilary's 'calculated' demeanor plays well onto the idea of her policy wonkiness in a Chaotic World Order, managed, incompetently, by the Previous -- Republican -- Administration. We commend Senator Clinton for leading her campaign on the contentious issue of Health Care, where she flamed out at the beginning of Clinton's First Administration (Next time bring Moynihan on board); we fault her -- slightly -- on making the announcement at the Hell's Kitchen 'Chelsea-Clinton' Community health center, which is too claculating by a half.

"Granted, these attacks on her calculated nature are coming from far-right precincts. But make no doubt about it, they will continue. Mercilessly. And the Primary Law of Politics is that a lie, uttered often enough, ultimately, in a Democracy, becomes Conventional Wisdom. Whether or not Hilary Clinton is 'Calculated,' by the end of her race for 2008 she will be perceived conventionally as Calculated.

"That's why a zany SNL appearance -- a la Giuliani in drag at the 2000 Mayor's Inner Circle Roast -- will defang that charge. Especially if she gets on a viral SNL Digital short."

Can you believe that was written one year ago?