Editorials & Other Articles
In reply to the discussion: Why Young People Are Right About Hillary Clinton - by Matt Taibbi [View all]PoliticalMalcontent
(449 posts)Thoughts on why '04 turned out the way it did (from someone who detested Bush and voted Kerry):
1. Incumbents have a built-in advantage. Name recognition is a powerful thing (See: Clinton, Hillary - 2016)
2. Dirty politics. That whole Swiftboat Veterens for Truth became synonymous with dirty political attacks. When someone defines a candidate before they get a chance to define themselves that can be very powerful. Kerry was known to low-info voters as a guy who ditched his military comrades or some such. They also painted him, fairly or not, as a bit of a flip-flopper. His flip-flopping pails in comparison to Clinton's.
3. In times of war people and chaos people are more likely to stick with the devil they know over the devil they don't. A lot of people plain don't like politics, politicians, and couldn't care less. That's probably why you're seeing Trump get so many supporters right now. People are just tired of seeing the system at work, even if Trump is a pompous ass.
I think young people just want someone they can trust, and the political system keeps telling them to go fuck themselves. That's why Sanders was so refreshing and why Clinton is such a finger to the eye. They don't see her as trustworthy. It's not like Trump holds some moral high ground there, but we should strive to be a party with higher standards.
The two most likely candidates left are not good and America is feeling more and more like some sort of dystopian society where the poor stay poor, and the best way to have a decent shot at making something of yourself you need to be born into wealth.
The system is broken. I want a candidate that will at least attempt to fix it.