“Cool Kids for Hillary.” You may be able to imagine it on a campaign button, but would any of them wear one? Whereas Mr. Obama’s 2008 candidacy organically prompted excitement on college campuses, the country’s skinny-jean citadels and celebrity hangouts, the candidate Clinton seems to be trying awfully hard to be down with the in crowd.

“Say you’ll Bey on Team #Hillary2016, too” read a May 15 tweet on Mrs. Clinton’s official account above an article in Marie Claire (where Ms. Gelman is a contributing editor) that was headlined “Beyoncé just publicly showed her support for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.”

Then there’s the Brooklyn Heights campaign headquarters. “Brooklyn U.S.A. How can you beat that?” Mrs. Clinton asks in a meet-the-neighbors web video — complete with a precious faux-handwriting font — that captures her greeting adoring Brooklynites. (Never mind that this is one of the borough’s more-staid neighborhoods.)