Hillary Clinton’s campaign showed the traveling media who’s boss yesterday during a campaign event in New Hampshire. As the pear-shaped presidential contender walked in an Independence Day parade in Gorham, New Hampshire, her aides kept members of the media behind a rope line that moved with the candidate, keeping them just out of earshot, lest any unscripted interaction between her and un-vetted “everyday folks” come to the attention of the voting public.

The pictures, tweeted by members of the media less than thrilled with being treated like rodeo calves, tell the story:

Clinton advance aides create a rope line for the press, moving with the candidate pic.twitter.com/9S7CpVt7x4

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 4, 2015

Clinton reporters being roped down a parade route via @JaxAlemany snaps pic.twitter.com/mpNKofK7r7

— Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) July 4, 2015

Matt Drudge has a screaming headline today on the demeaning treatmeant:

Note that the media all complied with this roping off, and merely grumbled in public. Note also, that at this stage of the presidential run, she is the only candidate enjoying Secret Service protection, which means that resistance to the high-handedness of her campaign is futile, and possibly criminal, so grumbling is the main form of resistance – although a few shouted words of derision might have been appropriate. That said, the campaign has already demonstrated that it is fully prepared to punish member of the media who are not compliant. Of recent memory:

In June Daily Mail Online's Political Editor David Martosko was barred from one of her events at the last minute, even though he was designated pool reporter. 

Describing what happened, he said: 'Monday morning I showed up at 7:45 in a parking lot where I was to hop on a Clinton campaign van for a drive to the town of Rochester, where the first event would be.

'A very junior staffer told me I couldn't climb aboard: I wasn't 'on the list.

'No matter – I'm paid to chase stories, not to take no for an answer. I got back in my rental car and followed them to Rochester.    

'On the way, I spoke with Nick  Merrill (the travelling press secretary) for 10 minutes. He gave me a handful of reasons for the sudden rug-pulling.

'At first it was because the campaign didn't want some foreign press outlets participating in the pool when others were giving them 'blowback' about being shut out of events when space is limited.' 

Afterwards, 13 major media organizations, including The New York Times & The Wall Street Journal, issued a statement defending Martosko and rejecting any attempt by the Clinton campaign to dictate who covers the candidate.

Far from backing off, the Hillary campaign is cracking the whip on the media, letting them know that she and her staff will dictate the terms of their access, and that punishments will be administered to those who do not comply. Since she is still the presumptive nominee, the risks of punishment are of considerable consequence. Thus, the media may grumble, but Hillary is their boss.

That she is behaving like an early-stage dictator should surprise nobody paying attention to her entire life story, but sadly, that is a very limited percentage of people who will be going to the polls.