Will Limiting Media Contact Backfire on Clinton?

Rick Klein: “The tactic is clear: When you’re up this big in the polls, with no one standing as a real rival, only bad things are likely to happen if you answer reporters’ questions. But the strategy is less clear: When the campaign is this long, and when you’re promising a different kind of candidacy that shows that the candidate is willing and able to work for it, more bad things than good are likely to happen if you’re shielding yourself from the press.”

“Voters are unlikely to care about a four-week stretch in April and May where Hillary Clinton did not answer questions. The consequence, though, was clear when she broke that seal: The ensuing scrum covered everything from her Iraq war vote to her Benghazi emails to her personal wealth. It’s not an unreasonable expectation to see our candidates engage on the news of the day, on matters of policy and politics large and small… But if limiting press access is a strategic, as opposed to a tactical, consideration, it’s worth constant reevaluation.”