So HillaryClinton.com has posted a new video, a nearly 5-minute testimonial from Bill Clinton about why his wife should be the next president. It’s mighty well done, as you would expect. He starts by addressing one of the Clinton campaign’s major worries — that voters have decided they already know everything there is to know about Hillary and either love her or hate her accordingly. Bill opens by saying, Let me tell you some things you probably don’t know about Hillary (my paraphrase). He then proceeds to give a biographical sketch of Hillary’s professional life, with a heavy focus on her work for poor children over the years. He also casts her later career, in the Senate, in a mold that worked effectively for him — as a tireless worker, waking up every day and trying to make things a little better for the American people.
The question, of course: Is the video effective? Or does it backfire? Will Bill’s fluid and persuasive delivery remind people that Hillary’s not nearly so good a politician as her husband? Or will having the ultimate political salesman making the pitch on her behalf be a net benefit? Having watched it a few times, it feels to me like a net plus for Hillary. But I could be wrong. Have a look and let us know what you think: