A Fine Line Between 'Open-Minded' and 'Conspiracy Theorist'

Just two days ago, staff members at Hillary Clinton's Rochester, New Hampshire campaign office were taken hostage by a man who claimed to have a bomb strapped to his chest, and who begged repeatedly to speak to Clinton because he needed help and, apparently, she was the only one who could help him.

There was non-stop coverage on most of the Boston and New England news channels until all of the hostages were freed and the incident was under control. As is the case for all aspects of human behavior, questions remain that may never be answered. But the most interesting take on the whole thing that I have heard so far has been the way that Clinton rose to the opportunity mid-campaign to demonstrate her crisis-handling technique. Well, wasn't that convenient?

I posed a seemingly random, casual question to my fiance:

"So, say you're a guy in a small New Hampshire town with an alcohol problem, and a criminal record, and not much else going for you - and suddenly a presidential candidate offers you some money to take her - er, their - staffers hostage at a campaign office in your town. And they tell you that you won't be in any danger, and that your hostages won't be in any danger, and in the end you'll get some help with your drinking problem and a little bit of fame and ultimately you will have a hand in changing the course of national - no, WORLD history, as it will be your actions that will help decide the outcome of the next presidential election! Would you do it?"

Ok, so it wasn't very well disguised. And he laughed at me. But even he had to admit that it didn't sound all that far-fetched.

The point I want to make is this: how hard is it be to believe that a politician, or anyone with substantial power and money, would be willing to set something like this incident up for publicity? For the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership abilities under pressure, and their commitment to both small-town volunteers and the desperate criminals of America? No one was hurt during the ordeal, and the publicity for Clinton's campaign is undeniable. So what makes that idea so hard to accept? Or, is it that hard to accept?