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That’s it? Forget these “newspapers,” I’m watching TV from now on. This is being described as Hillary’s “Muskie Moment,” in reference to the “crying” “incident” that doomed Ed Muskie in 1972. And it’s a great comparison: this is also a crying-related, silly-ass pseudostory that’s at best way overplayed and at worst inaccurate.
David Broder, one of the prime movers behind the Muskie story, describes it as “the story that still nags me.” Why? Here’s how he described Muskie’s moment in 1972: “With tears streaming down his face and his voice choked with emotion. . . .” 15 years later, Broder wasn’t so sure: “In retrospect, though, there were a few problems with the Muskie story. First, it is unclear whether Muskie did cry.” Whoops! Broder says it could have been snow that was “streaming” down Muskie’s face. It’s like Rashomon, except stupid.
I’m not yet prepared to turn my vote into a protest against Chris Matthews, Maureen Dowd, and all the rest. But: I understand.
