Hillary, Having to Convince People That You’re a ‘Real Person’ Is a Bad Sign

By Katherine Timpf

Monday, September 21, 2015

I may not be a political strategist, but I do know one thing: Feeling the need to convince voters that you’re “a real person” is not a good sign for a presidential candidate.

During an interview on Face the Nation on Sunday, John Dickerson asked Hillary Clinton to describe herself in three words. After laughing that she couldn’t “possibly” describe herself in “just three words,” she said:

“I mean, look, I am a real person, with all the pluses and minuses that go along with being that and have been in the public eye for so long that I think — you know, it’s like the feature that you see in some magazines sometimes: Real people actually go shopping, you know?”

This answer, of course, was an attempt to “humanize” herself (Guys, I even go shopping!) — but wound up sounding more like something a robot says in a science-fiction film before it murders an entire family.

Unfortunately, Clinton’s desperate cry to be seen as a relatable human goes far beyond just this single interview. Hillary for America chairman John Podesta even sent out a campaign e-mail touting the fact that she can talk about “anything and everything — from the Kardashians to wonky climate-change policy.”

Wow! She can talk about the Kardashians! She’s just like us!

Um, no. It’s not working, and here’s why: Real people don’t have to make an effort to act like real people, and they certainly don’t do it as part of a calculated campaign strategy. You know who does? Career politicians, and it’s becoming more and more clear that this image may just be too difficult for Hillary to shake.