海角大神

Hillary Clinton is having quite a run.

She nailed her debate performance last week, and won a .聽Then on Wednesday, the biggest question mark hanging over the 2016 presidential field was resolved. Vice President Joe Biden announced he鈥檚 not running, easing Mrs. Clinton鈥檚 path to the Democratic nomination.

Next up, the House Select Committee on Benghazi. On Thursday, Clinton sits before the panel to deliver long-awaited testimony on the deadly 2012 attack by Islamic militants on US diplomatic and intelligence facilities in Libya鈥檚 second-largest city. She has testified on the Benghazi attack before, early in 2013, in her waning days as secretary of State.

This time, the stakes are much higher. She is running for president, and there鈥檚 no room for error. Her manner, analysts say, must be presidential 鈥� assertive, not aggressive, straightforward while not appearing defensive.

鈥淏eing matter-of-fact is critical,鈥� says Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida in Tampa. 鈥淎ny perceivable tone that鈥檚 overly harsh or overly friendly will be open to criticism. The more matter-of-fact she is, and almost the more boring she is, the better for her.鈥�

Clinton can鈥檛 know with certainty what she will be asked. The committee has received a flood of new e-mails, including some written by Ambassador Chris Stevens, who died in the attack. Clinton鈥檚 own e-mails from her controversial private server are also fair game, and could form a central line of questioning.

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R) of South Carolina, chair of the House Benghazi committee, says his inquiry has unearthed new information. He is under the gun, too, after members of his own party suggested or stated outright that the investigation is political. His challenge is to prove the worth of his panel鈥檚 investigation, the seventh conducted by Congress, in addition to a State Department inquiry.

But it will be Clinton under the klieg lights, a day-long test that requires nerves of steel 鈥� all on live television.

She appears to be taking nothing for granted, having dialed back on campaign activities and spent the week preparing. But in a way, she鈥檚 had decades of preparation, with more than 30 appearances as a witness before Congress under her belt.

As first lady, Clinton testified on her health-reform plan, and as secretary of State, she appeared routinely. As a senator for eight years, she was on the receiving end of testimony. She can also draw on her experience as a young lawyer advising the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate scandal.

Her mistakes on the hot seat have been few, but they鈥檙e memorable. Most prominent was the moment during her January 2013 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Benghazi, when she grew agitated while speaking of those who perished in the attack, including her friend, Ambassador Stevens.

鈥淭he fact is we had four dead Americans,鈥� Clinton said. 鈥淲as it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they鈥檇 go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?鈥�

That last line has appeared in countless attack ads against her. And on Thursday, she knows that every word and every facial expression are going out live to the American people, and being recorded for that one sound bite on the evening news 鈥� or the next attack ad.

Working in Clinton鈥檚 favor is the political circus that has sprung up around her appearance before Congressman Gowdy鈥檚 committee. House majority leader Kevin McCarthy鈥檚 recent comment linking the committee鈥檚 work to a decline in her poll numbers was a pure gift, forever shattering any sense that the panel is above politics.

Another Republican congressman, Richard Hanna of New York, added to the injury when he told a radio host that the panel was 鈥渄esigned鈥� to go after Clinton. A fired Republican staffer on the Benghazi committee fanned the flames when he made the same point.

鈥淎 political show, rather than a fact-finding mission, is my expectation鈥� for Thursday鈥檚 hearing, says Bruce Buchanan, a political scientist at the University of Texas in Austin.

Gowdy has told Republicans to keep their mouths shut about the panel鈥檚 work, and that those who have spoken out don鈥檛 know what they鈥檙e talking about. Neither McCarthy nor Hanna is a member of the committee. Gowdy has also reportedly tried in vain to get conservative activists to stop fundraising off Benghazi.

It may be that Gowdy鈥檚 panel has been hopelessly politicized. That, at least, is the point of Clinton allies, who have filled the runup to her testimony with speeches and ads saying as much.

But that doesn鈥檛 mean Clinton can ease up. 鈥淪he will go in well-prepared, but not overconfident,鈥� says Kristina Horn Sheeler, a professor of communication studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

And inevitably, Benghazi will be in the public eye until Election Day.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a serious issue, and it鈥檚 one that won鈥檛 go away,鈥� says Ms. MacManus. 鈥淗ow each side handles it will be a good get-out-the-vote mobilizer for the other side.

The issue matters far more to Republicans than to Democrats or independents, . Ditto the issue of Clinton鈥檚 private e-mail server.

Ultimately, the reality of Thursday鈥檚 hearing may not live up to the hype. And if it doesn鈥檛, that鈥檚 a win for Clinton. But if it does, if there鈥檚 a startling new revelation or if Clinton loses her cool, then her string of good fortune will have run out.