Hillary Clinton knows she’ll never be elected president if she can’t figure out a way to win your affection. The problem is, even with a quarter-century of “public service” under her belt, Hillary can’t seem to connect with the average American. Now, with Vice President Joe Biden making noises about jumping into the race for the Democratic nomination, the likeability issue has taken on added urgency for the Clinton campaign. For all his faults as a candidate, Biden is a pretty likeable guy. Hillary’s team knows what the likeability issue could do to her in a primary fight, which is probably why they were hoping to lock things up early.

In a new book, Unlikeable: The Problem with Hillary, journalist and longtime Clinton family antagonist Edward Klein claims that Bill Clinton once pushed his wife to engage filmmaker Steven Spielberg to help make her more appealing. If true, Spielberg was an odd choice for acting coach. His films are known primarily for their sweeping cinematic qualities and sharp storytelling, not necessarily for the top-shelf performances he coaxes out of his actors. In an excerpt from his book in the New York Post, Klein reports that Hillary reluctantly agreed to the sessions. “I get $250,000 to give a speech … and these Hollywood jackasses are going to tell me how to do it!” she reportedly said.

If Klein’s information is correct, and if the quote is accurate, the Clintons are more confused about how to improve Hillary’s public image than anyone knew. For one thing, they’ve made the fundamental mistake of confusing the demands of performing before a live audience with the art of performing for the camera. Giving paid speeches is more like doing the work of a stage actor. Working on camera is a different discipline. No novice performer would ever confuse the two. That Bill and Hillary, this late in their political careers, would fail to recognize the difference is surprising.

Read the article “Book: No One Likes Hillary” on city-journal.org.