« AP exonerates Limbaugh? | Talking Points Memo Home | Fox News analyst slams U.S. generals »

No laughing matter

09.29.07 -- 4:33PM
By Steve Benen

The scrutiny of Hillary Clinton's marriage has been excessive. The scrutiny of her hairstyle has been absurd. The scrutiny of her cleavage has been offensive. The scrutiny of her clothing has been almost comical.

And so I suppose it was only a matter of time before the media turned its attention to her laugh.

Last Sunday, meanwhile, she appeared on all five of the major morning talk shows. I don't know what she had for breakfast, but her laughter was heavily caffeinated at times. Chris Wallace, of Fox News, first pressed Mrs. Clinton about why she was so "hyper-partisan," and that drew a huge cackle. (Coming from Fox, that question is pretty funny, her aides said.) But at another point Mr. Wallace switched gears and said, "let me ask you about health care," and she responded, "Yeah, I'd love you to ask me about health care" -- and then let it rip, again, a bit quizzically.

The weirdest moment was with Bob Schieffer on the CBS News program "Face the Nation" when he said to Mrs. Clinton, "you rolled out your new health care plan, something Republicans immediately said is going to lead to socialized medicine." She giggled, giggled some more, and then couldn't seem to stop giggling -- "Sorry, Bob," she said -- and finally unleashed the full Cackle.

Yes, four months before Iowans register a presidential preference, the New York Times is not only giving Hillary Clinton's laugh a specific label, the paper is also capitalizing it.

Slate's John Dickerson also devoted a whole piece to the question: "What's with Hillary's laugh?"

Matt Drudge posted a sound clip of it, and Sean Hannity raised the pressing question of whether Clinton's laughter was presidential.... Liberals, always on the lookout for signs of artifice from Clinton, are concerned that the laugh is staged to make the candidate appear more lighthearted and approachable. If so, it's certainly not working. The laugh sounds forced -- tacked on to warm Hillary's persona.

If bwah-ha-ha is a strategy, an aide should stop it now, before someone gets hurt…. Clinton also needs to ditch the laugh because it has become her tell.

It's going to be a long campaign, isn't it?

Recent Archives

May 11, 2008 - May 17, 2008
May 4, 2008 - May 10, 2008
April 27, 2008 - May 3, 2008
April 20, 2008 - April 26, 2008

TPM News Headlines

Share
Close Social Web Email

"To" Email Address

Your Name

Your Email Address