2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumHillary Clinton Doesn’t Need Liberals
The numbers show black voters defeated her in 2008 and will make her win in 2016.By Jamelle Bouie
Somehow, six years after a divisive, bitter primary against a liberal challenger, Hillary Clinton has become the darling of the Democratic left. To liberal Democrats, shes more tough, honest, and exciting than any figure in the party. As Noam Scheiber writes in an excellent feature on Clinton and the left for the New Republic, its a striking turnaround for a candidate who, when her opponent famously proclaimed her likeable enough in 2008, discovered that less than half her party agreed.
For Scheiberwho pegs the change to partisan solidarityliberal support is key to Clintons presidential ambitions, if she runs. Without dissatisfied liberals to fuel an anti-Clinton insurgency, he argues, the former secretary of state has an easy path to the nomination, even with her liabilities on income inequality and her close relationship to Wall Street and other titans of the 1 percent. Whats so unusual about Clintons standing is that, unlike 2008, its almost certain to hold up even against a perfectly positioned challengersay, Elizabeth Warren, the most beloved economic populist in the country, writes Scheiber.
At the risk of nitpicking, I think its wrong to call Warren perfectly positioned. Not because she isnt talented and popular, but because liberalsor at least, self-identified liberalsarent enough to win a Democratic primary.
Key to Scheibers case is the idea that liberals killed the Clinton candidacy of 2008 and could do the same in 2016 if they backed Warren or another credible challenger. But while liberals were a necessary part of the Obama insurgency, they werent sufficient to stop the Clinton machine. To wit, self-identified liberals were just 39 percent of all Democrats in 2008, followed by moderates (38 percent) and conservatives (21 percent). Or you could just look at Clintons record in the primary, where liberal opposition couldnt block her victories in New Hampshire, California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Massachusetts, and Arizona.
more
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/07/liberals_support_hillary_clinton_african_american_voters_will_give_her_the.html?
Tarheel_Dem
(31,207 posts)with Hillary wasn't so much Hillary, but the people who surrounded her. I mean, Mark Penn? Really? I hope, for her sake, she will dump the entire "machine" from '08 (at least publicly) and bring in younger, fresher faces who represent a cross section of the Democratic Party.
BootinUp
(46,924 posts)she is building her base talking about womens issues and talking about the younger generations difficulties in the economy. She is taking her time.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,207 posts)work for Sec. Clinton.
djean111
(14,255 posts)Good to know!
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)winter is coming
(11,785 posts)Warren's message appeals only to "liberals"? African Americans aren't concerned about inequality?
Mass
(27,315 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)winter is coming
(11,785 posts)realized Obama was a viable option. Since the article seems to be a puff piece promoting Hiillary, I'm not sure reminding us about that was a quality strategy.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)about Clinton these days.
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Beacool
(30,244 posts)where activists on the ground played a major part. Hillary won most of the large state primaries, except IL and SC. The popular vote and pledged delegate count was too close to assume that Obama won thanks to the most liberal faction of the party.
I don't think that Hillary will have as much trouble with the liberal faction of the party as some in the media and around here seem to think. In one recent poll, she had more support from self described liberals than she did from moderates and conservatives.
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)Perhaps she can take Koch money again, like when she co-founded the DLC.
apnu
(8,722 posts)No matter which way she leans, or how cozy she is with Wall st.
I was an early Obama supporter, I proudly voted for Obama for Senate, and every cycle after that, I have no problem pulling the lever for Hillary in 2014.
Why will Hillary be 100% better than any Republican? She won't be beholden to the teabagging nutters and thier masters. She drives them crazy because she breaths air.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)There should be a draft movement already in place with at least a million followers and at least several million in donations. No such movement exists. Therefore there is no reason for Warren to put her hat in the ring, which would marginalize her within the party.
Warrens connections, in fact, were through the Clintons and Obama, she wasn't self made in that vein, she got delegated opportunities as opposed to looking for them.