Hillary gets emotional while on the campaign trail

Scripted or genuine? Here’s the story, via Ben Smith at The Politico:

Exhausted and facing the prospect of losing the second test of her primary campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton fought back tears as her voice broke at the close of a sedate event in a Portsmouth coffee shop.

She expressed the sheer difficulty of heading out to the trail each day — “It’s not easy,” she said — and suggested she faced “pretty difficult odds.”

And with audible frustration and disbelief, she drew the contrast between her experience and Sen. Barack Obama’s that suggests that her campaign’s current message — the question of who is ready — matches her profound sense that she alone is ready for the job.

“Some of us know what we are going to do on day one, and some of us haven’t thought that through enough,” she said.

The question was innocuous:

“As a woman, I know it’s hard to get out of the house and get ready,” said Marianne Pernold, a local freelance photographer. “Who does your hair?”

Clinton began by talking about her hair — she has some help — but moved to talk more generally about the campaign.

“It’s not easy, it’s not easy, and I couldn’t do it if I just didn’t passionately believe it was the right thing to do,” she said.

“I have so many opportunities for this country. I don’t want to see us all fall back,” she said, her voice breaking in the last phrase.

“This is very personal for me,” she said to supportive applause from the small gathering, at which she’d been discussing policy around a table for an hour. “It’s not just political, it’s not just public — I see what’s happening. We have to reverse it.”

“Some people think elections are a game — it’s about who’s up and who’s down,” she said. “It’s about our country’s future, it’s about our kids’ future — it’s really about all of us together.”

Here’s the video:

A commenter at Ann Althouse’s pointed out that the Anchoress predicted a few days ago that this would happen, so a tip of the hat to Anchoress for forecasting Hillary’s emotional moment.

If you scroll throgh some links here, you’ll find The Usual Suspects on the left screaming “misogyny” at how the media is portraying this and how John Edwards responded to it. A couple of things to point out to them:

1) This is the first time you’re realizing that John Edwards is a self-centered loser? Newsflash.

2) On the supposed crying “double standard” I’ve got two words for you: Ed Muskie.

I think the only sympathy we’ll see for Senator Clinton is from those predisposed to spout “woman hater!!” on cue. Me? I feel no schadenfreude, and no compassion. I personally think the tears are real, but not because she’s “passionate” about the issues, but instead is passionate about power, and has felt the last few days that it’s slipping from her grasp as the O-mentum continues. In effect, I think she realizes that there’s a strong possibility that the era of Clinton domination is in its twilight phase. This is what you call making your bed and then having to lie in it. And yes, I meant the double entendre.

The big question is: If Clinton loses in NH tomorrow, will she drop out of the race? Or will she hold out til Super Tuesday?