Clinton’s Fate Won’t Be Determined by Emails

Charlie Cook: “This is the classic kind of inside-the-Beltway, process story that politicos and reporters get in a lather over but that resonates very little with average voters. Most Americans don’t know or care what happens to the old emails of public officials. But chasing shiny objects is an occupational hazard for political journalists during odd-numbered years, because of the infrequent developments of real significance. And, for that matter, Clinton’s fate won’t hinge on Benghazi either…”

“No, Hillary Clinton’s challenge will be determined by how she performs, what image she projects, how she is perceived—whether she comes across as likable and relevant to the future, someone who can plausibly address the challenges facing the country. Having been largely out of the game of politics since losing the Democratic nomination to President Obama in 2008, she is akin to a professional athlete who has been sidelined by injuries for several seasons. Does she still have—to borrow a phrase from the legendary political author, the late Richard Ben Cramer — ‘what it takes,’ or Tom Wolfe’s ‘the right stuff’?”