The Tracks of Her Tears: Tracing the Change From Authenticity to Artificiality in Media Framing of Hillary Clinton’s Affect Display before the New Hampshire Primary

• In Event: Presence and Pitfalls: The Role of Nonverbal Communication in the 2008 Presidential Election

Abstract

The media and other online forums engaged in a large degree of discussion about the nature and meanings of Clinton’s “eye welling” during a campaign stop after her loss in Iowa and before the New Hampshire primary during the 2008 Democratic campaign. Described variously as “sobbing” and “eyes watering,” the media accounts—some aimed specifically at deciphering the behavior—provided very different assessments of the tears. Most notably, the issue of authenticity arose, with assertions and discussions about whether Hillary’s tears were spontaneous expressions of some aspect of herself or whether they were artificial and contrived, all part of a larger strategy to win at any cost. Initial media discourse tended toward the former, with frames of the event emphasizing her tears as reflections of her warmth and her weakness. Over time, however, some of the early discussions of a different frame—Hillary as purposefully invoking sympathy by disingenuous crying—became more dominant. In this study, we analyze media discourse over time to document and make sense of this solidification of meaning.

Authors

• Valerie Manusov, University of Washington

• John Crowley, University of Washington