Vulnerable moment shows Clinton in different light
Daughter adds pep to campaign
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - It is a rare day when Hillary Clinton tears up in public, or when her reticent daughter, Chelsea, ventures out to campaign on her own.
Both unexpected events came to pass on the eve of today's crucial New Hampshire primary, which could determine her political fate.
Chelsea Clinton's coffee shop appearances and calls to voters were clearly part of a deliberate, last-ditch effort to soften her mother's image and to reach the younger voters.
Hillary Clinton's show of emotion, on the other hand, seemed a genuine response to the enormous pressure of today's make-or-break moment and the exhaustion of campaigning around the clock for weeks.
The idea of a female politician showing such vulnerability, as Patricia Schroeder did two decades ago when she abandoned her presidential run, has long been seen as perilous. Yet as she choked with emotion, widened her eyes, and rested her chin in her palm, Clinton looked human and sympathetic to many who were there.
At a cafe in Portsmouth where Clinton was taking questions from undecided voters, a woman asked her, "How do you do it?" She mentioned how perfect Clinton's hair always is and added, "How do you keep upbeat and so wonderful?"
"It's not easy, it's not easy," Clinton answered softly. "And I couldn't do it if I just didn't, you know, passionately believe it was the right thing to do."
That's when she started to get choked up. "You know, I have so many opportunities from this country - I just don't want to see us fall backwards, no," she said, as people clapped. "So, you know, this is very personal for me. It's not just political. It's not just public. I see what's happening and we have to reverse it.
"And some people think elections are a game - they think it's like who's up or who's down," she said, her voice catching again. "It's about our country, it's about our kids' futures, and it's really about all of us together."
Several voters said they were moved by the moment, which was already being dissected yesterday by pundits and is sure to take a prominent place in the history of the 2008 campaign.
John Edwards had a decidedly less sympathetic take. "I think what we need in a commander in chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are tough business, but being president of the United States is also tough business," he told reporters.
Barack Obama mostly tried to stay away from the topic. "I know this process is a grind," he said. "So that's not something I care to comment on."
Later, Clinton said she was moved because the woman surprised her by asking about her well-being.
"It was so touching to me," she said on CNN. "I'm so other-oriented. . . . I am reserved. I am someone who says, 'Let's have a little distance here,' because I want to be judged by my work."
Meanwhile, Chelsea Clinton campaigned with her high school best friend and a longtime aide to her mother. Previously, she had appeared on the campaign trail only by her mother's side, and she has avoided saying anything in public beyond friendly chit-chat.
The 27-year-old stopped by two cafes to shake hands and visited two campaign field offices, where she enthusiastically greeted volunteers manning the phones. She even made about a dozen calls to voters herself and grew frustrated when few people answered the phone.
But she left a lot of cheerful messages, and found a few live voters. "This is Chelsea Clinton," she said from the Dover office. "It's really me!"
The man on the other end of the line apparently told her that he loved watching her grow up.
"I loved growing up," she said. "You're going to vote for my mom? Thank you very much! I hope you get all your friends to vote for my mom, too!"
Globe correspondent James W. Pindell contributed to this report. Marcella Bombardieri can be reached at bombardieri@globe.com. 