Mark Curtis Media

(Providence, Rhode Island) - I have a small role in a political movie that debuts this week (more on that later), but the real drama was in Washington, DC, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before Congress about Libya. Here are my weekly political observations.

"Hell Hath No Fury!" - Democrats loved Hillary Clinton's combative appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, particularly her feisty exchange with Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI). Supporters think a "tough as nails" persona by Clinton bodes well for her Presidential chances in 2016.

"What Difference Does it Make?" - Republicans, on the other hand, have pounded Clinton. They believe her rhetorical question - "What difference does it make?" - about the often-changing explanation of what really led to the death of four Americans at the Libyan Consulate, was insensitive and inflammatory. You can expect to see the "What difference does it make?" clip in campaign ads against her in 2016.

"The Middle Ground" - Neither of the above observations is a surprise. Hillary Clinton is a polarizing figure. People either love her or despise her; there is little middle ground. But with forty percent of American voters registered as independent and beholden to neither party, how they react will be critical. And to those who think this quote will be a distant memory in 2016, that's highly unlikely in our Internet and You Tube age. It may fade for a time, but it will come back.

"Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer" - Hillary Clinton's biggest initial problem with her quote may actually be with Democrats, and not Republicans. While she is the odds-on favorite to win the 2016 nomination (as she was in 2008), there are no guarantees. It's likely to be a contested primary season again, with key Democrats such as Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), former Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM), Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and former Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) as possible challengers. Any one of them would be more than willing to use the "What difference does it make?" quote against Hillary Clinton. The only potential challenger that could not do so is Vice President Joe Biden. The problem for Secretary Clinton is that she has created a wedge issue - whether she intended to or not - that can, and likely will, be used against her.

"Why Does it Matter?" - I am sure some readers are discounting what I am saying. After all, the next Presidential campaign cycle is three years away, and memories can fade. But public perception of Hillary Clinton remains one of the most fascinating dynamics in American politics. Much of what she does and says will be highly scrutinized. She is likely to travel a lot, write a lot and speak a lot, right up until the day she decides whether or not she'll run in 2016. Potential challengers - especially within her own Democratic Party - will be looking for any opportunity to pounce and gain some traction. Politics is a full-contact sport!

"But Can She Win?" - The short answer is "Yes." She came so close in 2008 that we all know she has the tools, but the road won’t be easy. As a practical matter, Americans most often switch parties in the White House after a two-term Presidency. Only two Vice Presidents have ever been elected to succeed their bosses after two terms - Martin Van Buren and George H.W. Bush. So that does not bode well for Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden. It can be done, but it will be tough.

"The Looming 'X Factor'" - It made a few headlines this week, but the chorus may get louder before long. Republicans in states such as Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan and Wisconsin, are talking about changing the way their states award Electoral College votes. Currently those states are winner-take-all, meaning whoever wins the statewide popular vote, gets all the Electoral College votes. Only two states - Maine and Nebraska - divide their Electoral College votes differently. They do it by whoever wins each Congressional District. If all of the above-mentioned states allocated their votes by Congressional District, Mitt Romney would be President today. There are a lot of doubters that this change could actually take place, but consider this: Republicans now control 24 state governments, meaning they have the governors and majorities in both chambers of the state legislatures. Democrats have only 12 states where they control the whole government. Politics is often about leverage. Keep an eye on this issue!

"I Ought To Be in Pictures!" - Well, actually this week I am! Sunday night on ABC, I play a background actor in "The Makeover" - a movie where political operatives find a gruff beer deliveryman and do a makeover, turning him into a candidate for Congress. It stars Julia Stiles and David Walton. Watch the bowling alley scene, and look for a guy in a lime green pullover shirt (photo above) applauding in the background. It will be akin to finding a needle in a haystack; but yes, that's me! And soon you can see me in "Labor Day" with Kate Winslet, which is set for release a bit later this year!

As always, you can respond by clicking the comment button at www.MarkCurtisMedia.com.

(Providence, Rhode Island) – We’ll skip the combative politics for today, since officially it’s Inauguration Day. We’ll get back to the issues next week, but I thought today it might be fun to have some inaugural trivia. If you have to work Monday, you can use these to stump your co-workers!

“Don’t Forget Your Coat!” – William Henry Harrison (photo) should have taken a mom’s advice and worn a coat to his inaugural. Instead, at age 68, he delivered a two-hour address (the longest in history) in a cold rain. He wore neither a coat nor a hat. He also rode a horse to and from the ceremony, instead of a closed carriage. Not surprisingly, he caught pneumonia and died 32 days later. The longest inaugural address led to the shortest Presidency. Conversely, George Washington had the shortest inaugural address and served two full terms. Modern politicians take note: Brevity triumphs!

“Always Listen to Your Mom!” – Perhaps James Garfield took a cue from Harrison’s fate. In 1881, Garfield's mother Eliza was the first presidential mom to attend an inaugural. We presume she made him wear his coat; but whether or not he did, doesn’t matter. Garfield died after a mere 200 days in office, the second shortest term next to Harrison’s.

“Who’s on First?” – It must have been a perplexing sight in 1925, when Calvin Coolidge took his second oath of office. That’s because he was sworn in by former President William Howard Taft. That’s the only time that has ever happened. Why, you ask? Because after Taft was defeated for reelection as President, he was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court and served as Chief Justice. So, one of America’s most rotund politicians also got to serve in two of the "fattest" jobs in the land: President and Chief Justice. Not a bad career! By the way, Taft is the only President besides John F. Kennedy to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

“Thanks for Being There, Dad!” – President Calvin Coolidge also makes the trivia books for his first inaugural. He is the only President to be sworn in by his father. Coolidge, who became President upon the death of Warren Harding, was traveling in Vermont at the time. His dad, who happened to be a notary public, delivered the oath of office.

“Thanks for Being There, Ma’am… I mean Judge!” – Women’s roles in inaugurals – as in many other walks of life – were scanty in the nation’s early history. In fact, it wasn’t until 1917 and Woodrow Wilson’s second inauguration that women were allowed even to march in the parade. Years later, one woman performed a critical task in launching a Presidency. U.S. District Judge Sarah Hughes delivered the oath of office to Lyndon Johnson in Dallas after the Kennedy assassination. To date, he remains the only President sworn in by a woman. Pretty soon, I think, we'll be adding another trivia question: Who was the first female President sworn in by a man? Could it be in 2016?

“Media Matters!” – The first Presidential inauguration to be photographed was James Buchanan’s. The first to be recorded on film was William McKinley's. The first to be broadcast on radio was Calvin Coolidge's. The first to be televised was Harry Truman’s; and the first to be streamed live on the Internet was Bill Clinton’s second inaugural. Will Barack Obama be the first to “tweet” the oath of office on Twitter? Stay tuned!

“We Shall Overcome!” – It is fitting that Abraham Lincoln was the first President to allow African-Americans to participate in the parade. This year, President Obama - the nation’s first African American President - will have his second inaugural ceremony on the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday.

“His Sunny Optimism!” – Ronald Reagan’s charm, sunny optimism and warm personality endeared him to political friend and foe alike. Even some of his most ardent detractors personally loved him. So, it’s probably appropriate that Reagan had the warmest weather recorded for any inaugural - 55 degrees for his first in 1981 - and also the coldest, 7 degrees for his second in 1985. It was so cold, in fact, that they moved the ceremony inside the Capitol!

“Hey, the Constitution Says January 20?” – There might be some confusion this year, since the Constitution mandates that the swearing-in of the President take place on January 20. Well, the swearing-in will - in fact - happen today, but in private. The public inaugural ceremonies on Monday are just that, ceremonial. Oddly enough, the Inaugural Committee may have chosen this schedule because of football, although no one is saying so. (The Constitution has no prohibition against Sunday inaugurals). In 1985, Ronald Reagan’s second inaugural was the same day as the Super Bowl; so, as with this year, the swearing-in was private, with the public ceremony on Monday. With the NFC and AFC Championships today, the inauguration ceremony might have received short shrift. By the way, on January 20, 1985, Reagan did the Super Bowl coin toss via satellite from the White House following his private swearing-in ceremony.

My thanks to Christine Frantz and Beth Rowen for their great trivia. Here is a link if you want more: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/inauguralincident.html

If you have questions or comments (or more trivia), just click the comment button at www.MarkCurtisMedia.com.