She's Just One Of The Folks

The Hillary Clinton campaign is trying to make her seem like just one of the ordinary people.  At least that is what their message is.  If yesterday's initial campaign foray in Iowa is any indication, however, Hillary seems more like the dowager countess on Downton Abbey than one of the folks.  She came to a community college for a small question and answer session with six students.  There were few onlookers other than reporters.  The key, however, is that most of the students at the college were locked in their classrooms during her visit for "security" reasons.  Security reasons?  Are they kidding?  Hillary is now so important that the entire campus has to be locked down when she gets there?  Is she going to spend the next month or two paralyzing bits of Iowa as she traverses the state? 

Then there's the event itself.  One of the student participants told a reporter that he had to submit his questions in advance for approval by the campaign.  Of course, the campaign says that no questions were prescreened.  Still, since the video of the meeting shows Hillary referring to her note cards to answer the questions, one has to wonder how she happened to have a note card for each question if she did not have the questions in advance.

All this gives rise to a really important question:  If Hillary has been planning to run for the last eight years, is this really the best opening she could come up with for her campaign?  Maybe Jim Webb has a chance.