For Hillary, no cognitive dissonance for 2016

Hillary Clinton has managed to exorcise one ghost which dogged her in 2008: personal identity frame. Who is Hillary? Who is the real Hillary. Is she different from what we see on TV? Who really is she? Well the campaign has just answered one of the most crucial questions for 2016. Answer? She's a fighter. And here, there's absolutely no dissonance between her identity and the theme. There's clear congruence between persona and policy. This is important because voters want to know the real candidate and not the packaged one. It's also good for a candidate because it helps to elevate her trust standing and credibility with voters. Already, citizens know the candidate they get is one who is programmed and prepared for the audience but it does help if what they get is not too different from what reality it. Right now Hillary has just made a sound argument that who is and who she's really always has been is a fighter.

Pro-Con Analysis of Hillary Clinton's candidature

PRO

Experience

You couldn’t ask for a more experienced candidate than Hillary Clinton. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio may huff and puff about the senator vrs governor debate but none has direct top level federal/national government experience. From domestic policy to legislative policy to foreign policy, this is one president who wouldn’t have to learn on the job. Her role in government wasn’t just symbolic. It was pivotal: member of cabinet and the National Security Council. There aren’t a lot of politicians who can say “I was in the Situation Room on the day we got bin Laden.” As far as resumes or CVs go, Mrs Clinton looks great on paper.

Substantive

Hillary Clinton is no show boat. In fact she is wonkish to a fault. On the day before her 2016 presidential announcement bid, POLITICO wrote an article titled “Wonk Warrior” in tribute to Hillary’s comfort with policy heavy lifting. In that article they wrote “Her problem is that she’s far more interested in the how than the why of the presidency, and views her greatest assets as a willingness to engage all participants in a debate and a workmanlike capacity to hammer out policy solutions.” That doesn’t sound to me like a problem at all. In the same article author Glenn Thrush concedes though by saying: “Policy is what Hillary Clinton lives for...” True to her nature the speech was a serious minded address more notable for its policy bias than the number of people moved to tears. Even when Clinton got personal, it dovetailed back to policy. This is her greatest strength: her ability to engage in the nuances of policy work rather than the stylistics of imagery. 

Name Recognition

The reason Hillary Clinton started her campaign as late as she did was because she could afford it. The reason she has adopted the strategy she uses is because people already know her. She isn’t fighting to be known. In fact some will argue she suffers from being too well known. The Clinton brand is one of the most well known in modern politics both domestically and globally. If being president was merely about name recognition or popularity Hillary would have won this hands down. Hillary Clinton is not the kind of candidate who needs to release a YouTube video answering basic Google questions about her identity. She’s known quantity.

Perseverance

Hillary may not be a great campaigner a la Barack Obama but she’s sure got some stamina. Throughout her life, both in private and public, Hillary has demonstrated an ability to go the long haul. This is something that should serve her well. Great things come to people who are not willing to give up or so they say. No wonder she’s chosen “fighter” as her preferred definitional phrase for her persona. It suits her perfectly. There’s absolutely dissonance between frame and persona.

Global Recognition and Foreign Policy Gusto

Americans named Hillary Clinton has been the most admired woman anywhere in the world for 17 out of the past 18 years in the yearly Gallup Poll. The Clintons are well known and admired worldwide. If America was looking to reset their relations with the world, no one better than Hillary will be well positioned to do so. She was America’s chief diplomat during the Obama first term. Before then she got a pseudo rehearsal as first lady. Then there’s the Clinton foundation. The Clinton’s seem to have been auditioning for world president all their lives. Many nations wouldn’t have to learn how to get used to them and this kind of familiarity will come in handy in the intricate world of international relations. Did I mention that she was Secretary of State? I think Hilary has as much foreign policy experience as any candidate can hope for.

Realpolitik

Mrs Clinton is not new to political gamesmanship. With all her experiences from Arkansas to the White House to New York to the campaign stump to the State Department, she knows ins and outs of politicking both within and outside government. She has been called many names but political neophyte wouldn’t be one of them. These instincts should serve her well during the campaign and in government if she makes it.

CON

Baggage

It is pretty clear by now that Clinton’s long involvement in politics comes with much baggage. There are many who will waste little time in pointing on some of her missteps in her political life from her failed attempt to formulate health care policy for the country to her record at the State Department. In addition, the very name and memory of Clinton ignites harsh and bitter partisan sentiments that run deep. This may not be the time to analyze why but the point is that the Clinton’s are both beloved and derided within American politics. The Republican Party is as vocal, visceral and galvanized in their antipathy and opposition to Clinton as they can be. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people turn up on Election Day to vote motivated by their desire to see a non-Clinton presidency than anything else. This is definitely a hard place to be for any candidate who hopes to win a national election. 

 

Personality, Charm and likability

The importance of personal attraction in electoral politics cannot be underestimated. While people want to elect substantive and knowledgeable people as presidents, the smartest person doesn’t always win. Voters are attracted to people with charm, charisma and warmth. Campaigns represent n opportunity to engage and from relationships with voters so there’s a personal aspect to it. Over the years this hasn’t been one of Clinton’s strongest suit. No matter how bright she is on the policy issues her inability to connect on the emotional level with voters might hurt her.

Scandals & Trustworthiness

There are just too many scandals swindling around Hillary Clinton. From Clintogate to emailgate to Beghazigate, they just keep coming. To be a presidential candidate and be subpoenaed by a Congressional Committee doesn’t sound appropriate to me at all. These are serious and credible scandals bothering on issues of trust, judgment and credibility. It will be a huge accomplishment should Hillary pull through despite these hurdles. Not surprisingly these scandals have eroded the level of trust voters have in her according to recent polling. 

Gender

Hillary’s gender and age obviously places her at a disadvantage from the get go. The very fact that America hasn’t elected a female president before makes this an uphill task in and of itself. Next Hillary’s age has been framed as a disadvantage by her opponents and this is of concern because elections are about the future. These are two things Hillary can’t change.

Analysis of Hillary Clinton's announcement speech using campaign principles and practices

 Hillary Clinton addressing the crowd, Saturday June 13, in Roosevelt Park, New York

 by Etse Sikanku 

According to Trent, Friedenberg and Denton Jnr (2011), the presidential campaign announcement address has four purposes: (1) intention to run (2) scare off opponents (3) give reasons for running and (4) indicate themes of the campaign. I will also add that the campaign address should (5) address any potential weaknesses (6) Inspire and (7) Pay homage to history and values and (8) Stylistic elements.

Using these elements I analyze the announcement address of Hillary Clinton on June 13 2015.

Intention to run

Hillary didn’t directly need to indicate her intention to run because she had already done this in an earlier video announcement. Presidential campaigning methods and styles keep changing. This year Clinton adopted a totally different strategy by first issuing a campaign video indicating her announcement but did not directly engage in full-fledged rallies until June 13. Of course the reasons for this approach are quite obvious but by June 13, everyone was quite ware of her intentions. 

Scare off opponents

I can understand why a declaration to run will prevent others from plunging in. Some may deem her candidature to intimidating and may surmise that they have little chance of making it past a candidate with such prestige and reputation. This might be especially true of Clinton. She virtually has no serious opposition and her status as the prohibitive front runner couldn’t have been stronger. Political observers say never before has a candidature seemed so locked up and so predictive. However we all knew this even before her announcement speech.

Give reasons for running

As far as Hillary Clinton is concerned this was one of the major areas people expected her to address in her speech. For weeks ever since announcing her intention to run, many have complained about the lack of meat and substance in her campaign. The narrative that Clinton had no substantial reasons for running was beginning to take root especially within the news media and coupled with the fact that she hadn’t been taking too many questions on the trail, Hillary really needed to do a lot of work here. Nobody would argue that Hillary didn’t state her raison d’etre for running. In fact they had an overdose of it. Hillary in her natural elements is wonkish. Perhaps even more so than Obama and in a speech which was typically Hillary Clinton there was no shortage of substance. Her reason for running was clear, direct and straightforward. It can be summarized in the following quote:

“Prosperity can't be just for CEOs and hedge fund managers. Democracy can't be just for billionaires and corporations. (Cheers, applause.)Prosperity and democracy are part of your basic bargain too. You brought our country back. Now it's time -- your time to secure the gains and move ahead. And, you know what? America can't succeed unless you succeed. (Cheers, applause.). That is why I am running for President of the United States. (Cheers, applause, chanting.) Here, on Roosevelt Island, I believe we have a continuing rendezvous with destiny. Each American and the country we cherish.  I'm running to make our economy work for you and for every American.”

To me this was the heart of the whole speech and the paragraph that followed provided even more support for why she’s running to be president of the United States of America.  

“For the successful and the struggling.  For the innovators and inventors.  For those breaking barriers in technology and discovering cures for diseases. For the factory workers and food servers who stand on their feet all day. (Cheers, applause.) For the nurses who work the night shift. (Cheers, applause.) For the truckers who drive for hours and the farmers who feed us. (Cheers, applause.) For the veterans who served our country.  For the small business owners who took a risk.  For everyone who's ever been knocked down, but refused to be knocked out. (Cheers, applause.)

I'm not running for some Americans, but for all Americans. (Cheers, applause.)”

Themes

This was a particular great and well written speech so it wasn’t difficult to decipher the major themes of the campaign. Hillary’s campaign is woven around four major themes which she calls “fights”. They incude fighting for (1) make the economy work for everyday Americans (2) strengthen America's families (3) American leadership (4) Government reform

Inspire

One of the areas Hillary’s speech lacks is inspiration. Hillary gave a very solid speech in terms of substance but it terms of the emotions, I think she could have done better. She definitely did have some moving aspects of her speech but she needs to up this a little bit more. Compared to previous speeches she did try to be a bit more uplifting and it was great for her to get personal but I think she should do more in this area. And not every speech must make people cry but for her to inject some enthusiasm within the campaign and keep the energy going she does need to inspire people in order to keep the campaign upbeat. Moreover elections are about the people and arousing a nation to action. People need to have a moving, passionate reason to keep and sustain the campaign. It’s both about the head and the heart. When Clinton tried to inspire it was mostly about American exceptionalism. I think she should dedicate some time as well to using her own personal story as a girl who went from Park Ridge to Yale to the Senate to the State Department as a totem of the American dream and as an inspiration to many young girls just not in America but around the world.

Address potential weaknesses

Towards the end of the speech Hillary did attempt to counter any potential weaknesses or criticism of her campaign by saying:

Well, I may not be the youngest candidate in this race. But I will be the youngest woman President in the history of the United States! (Cheers, applause.) And the first grandmother as well. (Cheers, applause.) And one additional advantage: You're won't see my hair turn white in the White House. I've been coloring it for years! (Cheers, applause.) So I'm looking forward to a great debate among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. I'm not running to be a President only for those Americans who already agree with me. I want to be a President for all Americans.

And along the way, I'll just let you in on this little secret. (Laughter.) I won't get everything right. Lord knows I've made my share of mistakes. Well, there's no shortage of people pointing them out! (Laughter.)  And I certainly haven't won every battle I've fought. But leadership means perseverance and hard choices. You have to push through the setbacks and disappointments and keep at it. (Cheers, applause.)

This part of speech address issues regarding her age, gender and previous failures. A candidate doesn’t want to dwell too much or their weakness during an announcement speech but they shouldn’t ignore gaping concerns. The fact that Hillary acknowledges and tries to address these concerns is commendable. However it shouldn’t earn here. She still has to move in a direct way to address issues concerning the email flap, Clintongate, Benghazi and her speech earnings.

History and values

Hillary did tap into American history through her references to FDR. At certain points she did talk about issues related to the American value system. I think she should expand this and move beyond FDR as well. She has to come off as bi-partisan and not just a liberal. It would be good for her to find a Republican President she admires and for her to rump up values that appeal to not just democrats but Americans across board. 

Made use of repetition

One of the most effective strategies of the speech in terms of style is the use of repetition. It worked for Barack and it does work for Hillary too. Examples:

When President Obama honored the bargain, we pulled back from the brink of Depression,When President Clinton honored the bargain, we had the longest peacetime expansion in history, a balanced budget, (cheers, applause) and the first time in decades we all grew together, with the bottom 20 percent of workers increasing their incomes by the same percentage as the top 5 percent. (Cheers, applause.)

Another example:

"I believe that success isn't measured by how much the wealthiest Americans have, but by how many children climb out of poverty... (cheers, applause) How many start-ups and small businesses open and thrive... How many young people go to college without drowning in debt... (cheers, applause) How many people find a good job... How many families get ahead and stay ahead.”

Excessive use of the words: “we”, “you”, “us” indicating a shift in focus from Hillary to voters. It supports her theme of inclusion. 

“You worked extra shifts, took second jobs, postponed home repairs... you figured out how to make it work. And now people are beginning to think about their future again -- going to college, starting a business, buying a house, finally being able to put away something for retirement. 

“We can build an economy where hard work is rewarded. We can strengthen our families. We can defend our country and increase our opportunities all over the world. And we can renew the promise of our democracy.”

Personal

One of the effective things about this speech was that it was personal. This helps to make the candidate authentic. Hillary was speaking from her heart when she spoke about her Mum and her own experiences after College. It fits well into her personality as fighter. She has embraced herself and there’s no contrast between the personal and the policy. This is good for her. 

But I've spent my life fighting for children, families, and our country. And I'm not stopping now

I think you know by now that I've been called many things by many people (laughter) -- "quitter" is not one of them. (Cheers, applause.) Like so much else in my life, I got this from my mother.

Overall:

This was a strong speech by any measure. In terms of substance and in terms of style, Hillary paid attention to detail and met expectations to a large extent. Going forward one of the things she should watch is to avoid being too steeped in the past. Campaigns are about the future and any excessive focus on FDR or Bill Clinton’s legacy might support opposition jabs that she’s a candidate of the past. She also needs to be strategic about her association with Barack Obama. Lastly though it’s great to provide a central argument for your campaign that’s both personal and weaves seamlessly into the policy, I think Clinton should work on how she deploys the memory of her mother in the campaign. At some point it does sound depressing and this is not necessarily an experience every American can identify with. Still, it’s nice for us to know the impetus for her candidature. Advocating for the poor and the down trodden is definitely and honorable and worthy thing to do with one’s life. This wasn’t a mediocre speech. It was epic to a fault; maybe less moving and less sweeping but definitely substantive. Best wishes to Mrs. Clinton and all the other candidates.