Almost everything Hillary Clinton has done since launching her campaign has tried to portray her as someone that Americans of a wealth and social status approaching “typical” can connect with. Everyone knows that Hillary probably hasn’t driven her own car in twenty-five years and until recently made hundreds of thousands of dollars giving speeches to banks and other wealthy institutions. So the Chipotle visits and the small-room get-togethers with average citizens only make it easier for people to remember how few times in her life she’s been to a Chipotle or sat in a small room with average citizens.
But she has repeatedly referenced one new aspect of her life in a way that comes off as an authentic expression that most Americans can relate to, and that might lead voters to regard her more warmly than they ever have: her new status as a grandmother.
In the popular American mind, grandmothers are calm and wise. They’ve seen it all, so they understand what is worth getting upset about and what isn't. They might not participate directly in the day-to-day drama of getting kids from school to baseball practice while working a full-time job and putting dinner on the table, but they will be there at the key moments to lend a hand and provide comfort and perspective. Kids love spending time with their grandmothers, but if someone swings a bat in the house and breaks the good china, a grandmother won’t hesitate to be direct and firm in response. And everyone gathers around grandmother's table on Thanksgiving.
This is a caricature of how we imagine grandmothers, not a description of anyone real. But caricatures can influence how voters perceive candidates. After a 2015 and 2016 that will see six or seven credible Republican candidates clash in unbecoming ways, Americans may be ready for a president with a grandmother’s dignity and confidence. In February, when Republicans were somehow turning the measles vaccine into a divisive political issue, Hillary tweeted her support of medical science with the hashtag, “#GrandMotherKnowsBest.” This moment played well for her, and she should look for opportunities for similar moments over the next two years.
After her “baking cookies” comment, Hillary was never able to use her status as a working mother to her advantage. But in 2016, her family role could be key to her moving on from the rigid and calculating image she has projected since she entered national politics.