Most campaigns want supporters talking to the press to ramp up the buzz. “Why in the world,” Susan Page asks MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki, “would the campaign tell their own supporters who came out in favor of Hillary Clinton … not to talk to reporters? Why in the world would you do that?” It’s a question that stumps Kornacki, the Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart, and The Federalist’s Ben Domenech (via The Weekly Standard):

“This raises some warning flags for Hillary Clinton campaign,” Page continued, “that is trying to control their supporters.” Kornacki replied, “Nothing that those supporters could possibly say to the press is worse than the story of telling them not to talk.”

“What you want in the Des Moines Register,” Capehart adds, “is ‘Susie Smith, 17, can’t wait to vote for Hillary Clinton,” laughing. “Quote: ‘I love her, she’s fantastic!'” What is Hillary and her team afraid these supporters will say, anyway? She’s a retread but she’s all we’ve got? 

Maybe they’re afraid they’ll describe the turnout:

The afternoon rally was designed to energize Clinton’s troops before she took the stage with her Democratic challengers at the Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame Celebration on Friday evening. The room was only about three-quarters full for the rally, but participants gave Clinton an enthusiastic reception.

She couldn’t fill the venue for the afternoon rally? That’s not exactly an indication of enthusiasm, especially considering the lack of other viable options in the Democratic field.

So far, the start of Hillary Clinton’s campaign has featured a very hostile attitude toward a free press. She wants her supporters to shut up around the media, and keeps reporters corralled up in rope lines at her events. This raises lots of warning flags about how a President Hillary would handle the press. Perhaps the national media should start waking up to that threat rather than giving her an easy walkover during the primaries.