Clinton’s comeback and the video watched 'round the world

Hillary’s tears may have saved her from defeat in New Hampshire. But what are the lessons for communicators, speechwriters and PR pros?

It will go down as one of the great media moments in American politics. Hillary Clinton’s “emotional moment” may have turned the tide for her in the New Hampshire primary, and quite possibly in her quest for the presidency.

A gross oversimplification, you say? Yes, probably. But political lore is rarely the stuff of fact.

Communicators of all stripes, take heed. There are lessons for PR people, speechwriters and media relations pros in last night’s events, beginning with this:

Television, coupled with social media, can overhaul reputations, tweak images and affect individuals and nations with breathtaking speed.

But let’s back up.

Two days ago, down in the polls and already declared dead by the national press corps, Clinton answered a softball question from a New Hampshire voter, and her teary response—a moment that lasted mere seconds—may have rescued her from a devastating defeat at the hands of a surging Barack Obama.