Hillary Clinton Shows Her Weaker Side

Three days after Britney Spears' emotional breakdown and 3-day hospitalization, Hillary Clinton shows her weaker side when she gets teary-eyed on camera on January 7, 2008. This blog entry concerns the headline, "An emotional Clinton vows to fight on," by Ellen Wulfhorst.

Mrs. Clinton is apparently still dealing with the setback of ranking third in the Iowa primary on January 2. She was outdone by Barack Obama and John Edwards. Wulfhorst wrote, "A teary-eyed Hillary Clinton pushed for support on Monday as polls showed her poised for a huge New Hampshire loss to Democratic rival Barack Obama, but the former front-runner vowed to carry on with her presidential quest even if she loses."

I agree with Wulfhorst that this showing of Mrs. Clinton was "uncharacteristically emotional." I was glad to see her vulnerability.

Here is the question for voters. Do you think that Mrs. Clinton's unusual display of emotion is going to hurt her future chances of winning the Democratic nomination? If she doesn't win, it will be hard to blame it all on this slipup. There is a lot more to politics than just one moment.

In the last presidential campaign, Howard Dean's erratic behavior changed the perception of many Democrats, and he consequently slipped in the polls. John Kerry later rose as the frontrunner and eventually won the Democratic ticket for the White House.

With regard to Mrs. Clinton, Americans have always known her to be strong and sometimes even cold and devoid of emotion.

There is something important to think about when you choose a candidate, regardless of your final preference. Having a human side is a good quality in a President. I believe that although this new development may cost Mrs. Clinton some votes, it is positive for voters to see her human side.

The idea that a woman is too emotional for the job of President is narrow-minded because a leader should be a well-balanced individual. Mrs. Clinton has demonstrated in the past that she has weathered adversity, particularly when her husband was facing scandals as President.

As always, it is up to the voters. So, you decide.