Isn't it telling that I, who I'd like to think keeps fairly up to date on this stuff, has never seen this? I just Googled the circumstances surrounding it. I notice in the apology she felt the need to say "It was allows, but I shouldn't have done it." I remember in the build up she continuously said she would not apologize because it was allowed. It maintains that defiant tone and watching the video it is quick, rushed, and feels like "I just want to get my campaign past this" rather than "I messed up and let the American people down and for that I am truly sorry." Hell, Nixon's apology to David Frost feels more sincere than Clinton's.
Further, this was in September, before the American people truly knew the extent of this and before these FBI findings showed that it went far beyond her simply doing something she was allowed to do. I think she needs to own it more and on a bigger stage than on an interview, done quietly on a Monday night, with our nation's least watched news network.
I think she owes the American people a true and genuine apology. I don't think it will come because I don't believe that she thinks that she did anything wrong. Legally, she certainly did not. But she was in a position of responsibility and breached the public trust that underlines our social contract. And now she is asking the American people to put her in an even greater position of responsibility? THE position of responsibility? I just really feel like she owes the American people more than a quiet, rushed, "I'm sorry that I did something that was 'allowed' and it got blown out of proportion" apology.
We have yet to see a human moment from Hillary Clinton in this campaign. I'd argue we haven't seen a human Hillary Clinton since 2008 when she shed tears during the town hall in days prior to New Hampshire. Say what you will about Trump, he is connecting with people. He is connecting on the most base level, through their fear, but he is connecting by being a human being. It may all be staged, but he showing an emotion ("I'm angry about the state of our country!") and that resonates.
Like I said earlier, Clinton is running a campaign targeted at the mind. Trump is running one targeted at the heart. The heart is going to win that argument every time. Kaine doesn't help her in that regard. That is why he is a bad choice. She needs to find some way to connect to people as a human being, because Kaine won't do it for her. People won't connect to her until they trust her. They won't trust her until she gives an apology that the people consider adequate. She hasn't done that yet and I doubt that she will.
And as a result, when historians look back on the failed presidency of Donald Trump, they will look to this campaign and ask how it happened. The answer will be simple: Clinton never tried to win over the hearts of the American people, so she lost.