The New Republic’s Michael Crowley offers an interesting look at Hillary Clinton’s message discipline (or lack thereof):

The hallmark of Hillary’s tenure as America’s top diplomat has hardly been robotic precision. It has instead been a curious propensity for public statements that require amendment, clarification, and implicit retraction–as illustrated, most recently, by comments she made about Israeli settlement policy that reportedly baffled even her own aides. … [I]t’s not a style in keeping with a White House that generally demands complete message control. For a president who hates drama, Barack Obama has installed a secretary of state who keeps creating it.

Crowley compiles a comprehensive and convincing lists of Clinton gaffes, dating back to the campaign when, interestingly, “The campaign lived in regular fear that she’d say something to throw us off message,” according to one former Clinton aide that Crowley interviewed. But somehow, her image as a disciplined politician remains intact, I suspect because she’s normally surrounded herself by very smart aides who are quick to identify and fix gaffes.

Having a reputation for gaffes is the sort of self-fulfilling narratives that can be impossible to shake. (See Biden, Joe.) So to state the obvious: If Crowley’s piece sparks a revisiting of Clinton’s image as a gaffe-free politician, that could prove damaging in the long-run.