Margaret Carlson, Columnist

Maybe Clinton Should Take a Little More Time Off

During her convalescence, Obama and Bill did a better job of selling her than she has done for herself.

September 15, 2016 at 6:27 PM UTC

Margaret Carlson was a White House correspondent for Time, a weekly panelist on CNN’s “Capital Gang” and an editor at the New Republic.

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Hillary Clinton will appear in Greensboro, North Carolina, later Thursday, her first event after a couple days’ hiatus. She might want to get a doctor’s note and take another day, or two, off.

Less can be more. Once Clinton finally succumbed to matter over mind and took a breather, she inadvertently stumbled on the genuine authenticity that has been so lacking in her campaign. Reporters gradually got over being ticked off that she didn’t admit she had pneumonia, given their own penchant for walking around fortified by Z-Packs and Benadryl. Some even betrayed a smidgeon of grudging admiration that she’d powered through. Gritting her teeth and showing up as promised is part of her Best Student in Class essence. On Sept. 11, unable to fake it any longer, she wobbled away from Ground Zero, showing the humanity that her supporters say is there.