by Henry Oliner
Did Donald Trump win the election, or did Hillary Clinton lose it? It may seem irrelevant, but it does have bearing on the midterms.
Hillary’s likability is used as a cloak to obscure severe character flaws and a history that questions her trustworthiness.
Many Bernie supporters did not vote for her even though they pulled for blue candidates down the ticket. Millions of Trump voters had voted for Obama in at least one of his two victories. Will new Democratic candidates be advantaged by the absence of Hillary on the ticket, combined with a visceral hatred of Trump?
It depends on the candidate. An Elizabeth Warren or a Kamela Harris may have less baggage than Hillary, but they retain the arrogance and identity politics that is costly. Bernie Sanders is likable but still too far left of center to get elected. Joe Biden would have the best chance. There may be a dark horse, but the Democratic back bench is pretty thin.
Does policy matter? This question keeps coming back to me? Was Hillary rejected because of the shallowness of ‘likability’,and untrustworthy character, or because we have reached a period of exhaustion with progressivism, big government and its intrusion into every aspect of our lives, political correctness, and identity politics.
If the Democrats disappoint in the midterms, meaning they do not take control of the House or the Senate this will indicate their problem is ideological. If they roar back into control it may indicate the problem was just Hillary.
Recent Comments