Let Her Cry

When Hillary Clinton nearly cried (did cry? sort of cried? welled up? broke down and sobbed?) just before the New Hampshire primary, pretty much every news outlet picked it up and ran with it -- then immediately blew it way out of proportion. I thought it was a silly nonstory that was being reported on just because there wasn't a ton else to report about that day (much like this year's Super Bowl coverage). But then I read that somehow, this tiny show of emotion actually swayed some people's votes. After reading all about it, I wrote this:

"I don't really understand all this hoopla surrounding Hillary almost crying the other day. Apparently, it swayed in her favor a lot of undecided voters. I don't understand it. Does her crying change that she voted for the war in Iraq? No. Does the fact that she cried take away from her plans for the health-care and education systems? No. Does it make her a better candidate or a better person? No. Does it make her a worse candidate or worse person? No. Does it mean she would be weak on terrorism as president? No. It doesn't mean anything! I do not -- and never will -- understand why people get hung up on stupid, miniscule things like this and let candidates' speeches, voting records, beliefs, stances on issues, ideas and/or debate performances fall by the wayside. People vote for Bush because he seemed like a good ol' boy -- a guy they wanted to drink a beer with. And people are voting for and against Hillary because she cried. It doesn't make sense!"

Now Hillary has cried in public again. It's getting a lot less coverage this time, thankfully. I stand by what I said after the first time she cried: This should have no effect whatsoever on people's decision to vote for or against her. But the timing of each tear-shed now makes me think a little harder: the night before the all-important New Hampshire primary and the morning before Super Tuesday. Were those pessimists and cynics who said that every tear was a calculated political move actually right? Who knows and, actually, who cares?