The Clinton Act Going South

Two items today tell a similar story. The Clintons, Bill and Hillary, seem to have lost their mojo out on the stump. Whether this is a result of the incredible turnaround in the Democratic race--in which HIllary's poll numbers are plunging with death-defying speed--or one of the reasons for the reversal itself, observers are noting a distinct lack of enthusiasm from the audience.

First, The New York Times describes Bill's lackluster performances:

He entered to polite applause and rows of empty seats at the University of New Hampshire on Friday. Severa people filed out midspeech, and the room was largely quiet as he spoke, with few interruptions for laugher or applause. He talked about his administration, his foundation work and some about his wife.

"Hillary's got good plans," Mr. Clinton kept saying as he worked through a hoarse-voiced litany of why his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, is a "world-class change agent."

OK. In his defense that was right after the Iowa loss, and Bill was working on very little sleep. Still, the article goes on to detail several other similar events in the days that followed. And one can't help but notice the similarities to the description used in a Politico piece on Hillary's soul-draining oratory of late:

Clinton talked about issue after issue in almost mind-numbing detail and answered question after question in an event that lasted more than an hour and a half.

Both [Clinton and Obama] drew large crowds. But Clinton's crowd was much smaller at the end of her speech than at the beginning.

Hundreds of people trickled and then streamed out while Clinton was still talking. But she went on and on as if she did not mind.

While the Clinton camp will point out that the preceding paragraph in the article, while praising Obama's speech as "mesmerizing," hit the Illinois Senator for not taking any questions, and not delving into detail on any specific issue. That's a fair criticism. It's also a sign of how hard it will be for Clinton to win now. Hillary is up against an incredible communicator, and trying to fight back in the final stages of the primary election by making long-winded policy speeches. With all due respect to the Clinton team, if you haven't convinced the voters that candidate is the most qualified person for the job by now, it may be too late.