The first primary election of the year was held January 8, barely after the smoke from the Iowa Caucus cleared. The results are now in, offering surprises after the likewise astounding votes in Iowa. But the story doesn’t begin with the voting polls, which opened January 8. Really, the outcome of the New Hampshire primary was dictated the day before.

January 7, 2008. New York senator (and strong Presidential contender) Hillary Clinton settles before cameras for a routine interview.  A woman in attendance asks Clinton a completely mundane question about getting herself ready for the public eye (physical appearance-ready, that is). Hillary answers the question…but then, there is a subtle shift. For months, Clinton has lost points with supporters who viewed her as too businesslike and politically savvy by half, a little cold and crisp and hard to relate to. Inhuman. Not on January 7. After talking about fixing her hair for a day on the campaign trail, Clinton’s eyes grew misty. Her voice became a little weak. She said this election is not a game, but it’s really all about our country. As tears pooled in her eyes, Clinton waxed poetic about a love for the nation. One could practically hear strains of Francis Scott Key in the background. Suddenly, Clinton becomes emotional. Suddenly, her name is all over the media. Suddenly, everyone’s talking about how she’s vulnerable, weakened by this hard-core political world. And suddenly, after trailing fellow Democrat Barack Obama by a wide gap in popularity polls, Clinton wins the New Hampshire primary.

Today, there are questions. Political analysts are asking if Clinton’s emotions were real or if they were contrived, coldly calculated - and frankly, I can’t decide which is worse. Would we rather have a President who chokes up when talking policy, or one who is willing to manipulatively (and deceitfully) plot out an aggressive race to the White House at any and all costs? All I can say is this: everything Hillary Clinton has done in her political career has been carefully plotted and masterfully orchestrated. Never have I seen the woman unprepared or unrehearsed for an interview…have you?