Last night, Hillary appeared on The O'Reilly Factor with part one of a two-part interview in the "no spin zone."
The left was up in arms about the interview. Blogger "SilentPatriot" at Crooks and Liars, for example, complained, "I really don't understand why Clinton (and Obama last Sunday) would agree to go on FOX and legitimize them as a news organization when they're clearly a GOP propaganda outlet created with the sole purpose of smearing Democrats and praising Republicans." And according to TPM, MoveOn.org also condemned the interview. If this is such a great election year for the Democrats, why is the left worried about big, bad Fox News?
Right-wing bloggers were surprised by Hillary's performance. At Contentions, Jennifer Rubin says that Hillary came across as "pugnacious, funny (she says with a twinkle in her eye that she'd expect nothing but 'fair and balanced' coverage from Fox), quick on her feet and, within the confines of her shtick, somewhat candid. She's a phony, but sort of a real phony." Perhaps the bubblegum-pink jacket enhanced her charm?
At the Corner, Kathryn Lopez posted emails from Republicans who found Hillary to be more likable than expected--although I'm sure the recent Jeremiah Wright episode helped with that, too. (Speaking of Wright, the big soundbyte from the interview is that Hillary called Wright's remarks "offensive and outrageous.")
But others disagree. At the American Spectator, Philip Klein says that "she was generally her phony self, giggling like a school girl, rattling off one big government program after another, and in John Edwards mode repeatedly saying 'I'm a fighter.'" Allahpundit notes that "Her Majesty did defend her socialist plan to take oil companies' windfall profits just because they're way too much in her considered judgment." (And although he hates to admit it, even he nonetheless found her "almost charming." What's going on here?) At the Corner, Andy McCarthy has more on her plan to take on the oil companies: "My favorite part of the interview: Hil's plan to reduce oil prices by...filing a WTO complaint. Evidently, the same folks who thought they could indict radical Islam into submission now figure they are going to break OPEC by filing a lawsuit." And Tyler Gray at Radar concludes, "The closer was a classic. O'Reilly asks Clinton if she's enjoyed the fair coverage Fox News has given her. Cue Clinton cackle." Yes, same old Hillary.
The Corner's Lisa Schiffren suspects that the interview was scheduled before Hillary's recent boost. O'Reilly may regret airing an interview that made Hillary seem like a normal, likable person, but we can rest assured that many voters won't buy her "one of the people" act.
