Ask a diverse group of ten people why Hillary Clinton lost the election, and you’ll probably get ten different answers. Not surprisingly, all ten would probably be correct. Here then, in no particular order, are my ten reasons why Democrats lost the White House in 2016 despite all polling predictions to the contrary.
“Bernie, the DNC, and CNN”
The populist Senator from Vermont really deserves a category all to himself. After all, he won 22 primaries, and gave disaffected voters plenty of reasons not to be enthusiastic about Hillary in the general election. Still, for purposes of compiling this list, I’m lumping Bernie with the DNC and CNN because their collusion against him (and the news thereof) backfired, and, in the end, helped defeat the Democratic nominee. Thanks to various leaked emails, we know that former DNC Chairman Debbie Wasserman Shultz and her staff wanted Ms. Clinton to win the nomination. They scheduled televised debates on nights when viewership was lower. They disparaged Sanders behind his back, they did nothing to discourage super delegates from pledging to Hillary before the primaries even began, and they saw to it that about 90% of the committee chairmanships at the convention went to Hillary supporters, despite the fact that Bernie had garnered over 40% of the vote. And, we now know that former interim DNC Chair and CNN contributor Donna Brazile, gave questions to Hillary prior to at least two televised primary debates. No doubt, the knowledge of these offenses caused Bernie supporters to either stay home on November 8, or vote for Jill Stein, either scenario of which helped to deny Democrats the Presidency.
“The 16 Whining Republicans”
It’s easy to see why Donald Trump trounced 16 Republican primary opponents. Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and the other establishment politicians never really understood why so many voters had so little faith in establishment politicians. After they all dropped out, the GOP contenders spent most of their time whining about Trump and the media instead of addressing their failures. Had Trump not been in the race, Hillary would have, by comparison, looked like a sympathetic populist. She would have run a different kind of campaign, and she might have won.
Jim Comey and the F.B.I.”
was first told that she was under investigation by the FBI for transmitting classified emails on a private server. But by July, FBI director Jim Comey announced that prosecution was not indicated. Still, he was critical of Ms. Clinton’s reckless handling of classified documents, so much so, that most Americans believed she was guilty of a crime. Then, just eleven days before the general election, Comey re-appeared and announced he was re-opening the Clinton email investigation based on new evidence being collected from Anthony Weiner’s lap top. Even though Comey later cleared Clinton, the damage had been done. In fact, Hillary and her campaign staff believe that Comey’s October surprise was the main factor leading to her defeat on November 8.
“Dr. Jill Stein”
As was the case in 1992 and again in 2000, support for a third party candidate helped to upset a presidential front runner. In 1992, Ross Perot garnered 19% of the popular vote (most of which would have gone to Bush 41), thus handing the White House to Bill Clinton. In 2000, Ralph Nader received enough votes in Florida (most of which would otherwise have been cast for Al Gore), to tilt the state to George W. Bush. This time around it was Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein who spoiled Hillary’s coming out party. In fact, Stein collected enough votes in several swing states to give Trump the electoral margin he needed to become president.
“Swing States and the Electoral College”
No one really loves the Electoral College because it elevates a handful of swing states to such importance, that every other state becomes almost moot. Hillary won the total popular vote nationwide by over a million votes, but because she lost Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin by slim margins, she lost the election. Some Democratic officials are now making noise about abolishing the Electoral College, but with Republicans controlling all three branches of government, plus 34 state legislatures, it’s unlikely that the party of Trump will do anything to upset his chances at re-election in 2020.
Millennials”
If you thought the sixteen defeated Republican candidates were cry babies, let me introduce you to America’s millennials. These clueless youngsters pride themselves on being able to multi-task, yet the one task they can’t seem to do is vote. Although there’s no empirical data available, an informal survey of the Portland protestors revealed that 7 out of 10 millennials didn’t bother to vote. Even if that statistic is off by 90%, there would have been enough young votes in swing states to propel Hillary into the White House, and they wouldn’t have anything to protest now. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?
“African Americans”
In 2012, black voters turned out in big numbers for Barack Obama, so Hillary expected that same coalition to turn out for her in 2016. It didn’t happen. On November 8, over one million African Americans who had voted for Obama four years ago, refused to support Hillary, and that cost Democrats the White House. The harsh reality is that Mr. Obama is likeable, and Hillary isn’t. The President’s positives are about as high as Hillary’s negatives, leading many pundits to speculate that while America is open to electing a woman president, Ms. Clinton just wasn’t that woman.
“Obamacare”
Despite his popularity, President Obama’s Affordable Care Act didn’t turn out to be the success he had hoped for. In the end, it’s failures helped to put Trump in the White House. Just weeks before the election, it was announced that ACA premiums would be rising to staggering levels next year. Many states will experience increases of over 40%, including Arizona, where customers will pay 116% more each month in health insurance. Throughout her campaign, Mrs. Clinton praised Obamacare, but those who live by the sword, die by the sword. In the waning days of October, Hillary was stabbed in the heart by a healthcare system she had enthusiastically endorsed.
“Basket of Deplorables”
Hillary spent most of her time bashing Donald Trump instead of explaining to voters how she would make their lives better. But while bashing Trump didn’t necessarily hurt Clinton, she made a major mistake by bashing his supporters and potential supporters, calling them a “basket of deplorables.” Those were fighting words for people who are unemployed or underemployed, and who might have otherwise stayed home on election day. Instead the deplorables turned out in record numbers, and Democrats will no longer have one of their own sitting in the Oval office.
“HRC”
Hillary Rodham Clinton, or HRC, as she is referred to in staff emails, need only look in the mirror to blame someone for her loss. As we now know from leaked texts of her Wall Street speeches, Hillary once told a roomful of bankers that she can no longer relate to the middle class. What she COULD relate to is power, which she assumed was hers for the taking in 2016. But her private disdain for us common folk translated to a campaign that was fueled by arrogance and over confidence. For example, she spent little or no time campaigning in some of the Midwestern states which she took for granted. That alone cost her the election, even absent the other nine reasons.
Regardless of why they lost the White House in 2016, Democrats now have four years to regroup and re-examine. They need to come to terms with their mistakes, or else prepare for two terms of Trump.
Why Democrats Lost the White House
Ask a diverse group of ten people why Hillary Clinton lost the election, and you’ll probably get ten different answers. Not surprisingly, all ten would probably be correct. Here then, in no particular order, are my ten reasons why Democrats lost the White House in 2016 despite all polling predictions to the contrary.
“Bernie, the DNC, and CNN”
The populist Senator from Vermont really deserves a category all to himself. After all, he won 22 primaries, and gave disaffected voters plenty of reasons not to be enthusiastic about Hillary in the general election. Still, for purposes of compiling this list, I’m lumping Bernie with the DNC and CNN because their collusion against him (and the news thereof) backfired, and, in the end, helped defeat the Democratic nominee. Thanks to various leaked emails, we know that former DNC Chairman Debbie Wasserman Shultz and her staff wanted Ms. Clinton to win the nomination. They scheduled televised debates on nights when viewership was lower. They disparaged Sanders behind his back, they did nothing to discourage super delegates from pledging to Hillary before the primaries even began, and they saw to it that about 90% of the committee chairmanships at the convention went to Hillary supporters, despite the fact that Bernie had garnered over 40% of the vote. And, we now know that former interim DNC Chair and CNN contributor Donna Brazile, gave questions to Hillary prior to at least two televised primary debates. No doubt, the knowledge of these offenses caused Bernie supporters to either stay home on November 8, or vote for Jill Stein, either scenario of which helped to deny Democrats the Presidency.
“The 16 Whining Republicans”
It’s easy to see why Donald Trump trounced 16 Republican primary opponents. Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and the other establishment politicians never really understood why so many voters had so little faith in establishment politicians. After they all dropped out, the GOP contenders spent most of their time whining about Trump and the media instead of addressing their failures. Had Trump not been in the race, Hillary would have, by comparison, looked like a sympathetic populist. She would have run a different kind of campaign, and she might have won.
Jim Comey and the F.B.I.”
was first told that she was under investigation by the FBI for transmitting classified emails on a private server. But by July, FBI director Jim Comey announced that prosecution was not indicated. Still, he was critical of Ms. Clinton’s reckless handling of classified documents, so much so, that most Americans believed she was guilty of a crime. Then, just eleven days before the general election, Comey re-appeared and announced he was re-opening the Clinton email investigation based on new evidence being collected from Anthony Weiner’s lap top. Even though Comey later cleared Clinton, the damage had been done. In fact, Hillary and her campaign staff believe that Comey’s October surprise was the main factor leading to her defeat on November 8.
“Dr. Jill Stein”
As was the case in 1992 and again in 2000, support for a third party candidate helped to upset a presidential front runner. In 1992, Ross Perot garnered 19% of the popular vote (most of which would have gone to Bush 41), thus handing the White House to Bill Clinton. In 2000, Ralph Nader received enough votes in Florida (most of which would otherwise have been cast for Al Gore), to tilt the state to George W. Bush. This time around it was Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein who spoiled Hillary’s coming out party. In fact, Stein collected enough votes in several swing states to give Trump the electoral margin he needed to become president.
“Swing States and the Electoral College”
No one really loves the Electoral College because it elevates a handful of swing states to such importance, that every other state becomes almost moot. Hillary won the total popular vote nationwide by over a million votes, but because she lost Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin by slim margins, she lost the election. Some Democratic officials are now making noise about abolishing the Electoral College, but with Republicans controlling all three branches of government, plus 34 state legislatures, it’s unlikely that the party of Trump will do anything to upset his chances at re-election in 2020.
Millennials”
If you thought the sixteen defeated Republican candidates were cry babies, let me introduce you to America’s millennials. These clueless youngsters pride themselves on being able to multi-task, yet the one task they can’t seem to do is vote. Although there’s no empirical data available, an informal survey of the Portland protestors revealed that 7 out of 10 millennials didn’t bother to vote. Even if that statistic is off by 90%, there would have been enough young votes in swing states to propel Hillary into the White House, and they wouldn’t have anything to protest now. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?
“African Americans”
In 2012, black voters turned out in big numbers for Barack Obama, so Hillary expected that same coalition to turn out for her in 2016. It didn’t happen. On November 8, over one million African Americans who had voted for Obama four years ago, refused to support Hillary, and that cost Democrats the White House. The harsh reality is that Mr. Obama is likeable, and Hillary isn’t. The President’s positives are about as high as Hillary’s negatives, leading many pundits to speculate that while America is open to electing a woman president, Ms. Clinton just wasn’t that woman.
“Obamacare”
Despite his popularity, President Obama’s Affordable Care Act didn’t turn out to be the success he had hoped for. In the end, it’s failures helped to put Trump in the White House. Just weeks before the election, it was announced that ACA premiums would be rising to staggering levels next year. Many states will experience increases of over 40%, including Arizona, where customers will pay 116% more each month in health insurance. Throughout her campaign, Mrs. Clinton praised Obamacare, but those who live by the sword, die by the sword. In the waning days of October, Hillary was stabbed in the heart by a healthcare system she had enthusiastically endorsed.
“Basket of Deplorables”
Hillary spent most of her time bashing Donald Trump instead of explaining to voters how she would make their lives better. But while bashing Trump didn’t necessarily hurt Clinton, she made a major mistake by bashing his supporters and potential supporters, calling them a “basket of deplorables.” Those were fighting words for people who are unemployed or underemployed, and who might have otherwise stayed home on election day. Instead the deplorables turned out in record numbers, and Democrats will no longer have one of their own sitting in the Oval office.
“HRC”
Hillary Rodham Clinton, or HRC, as she is referred to in staff emails, need only look in the mirror to blame someone for her loss. As we now know from leaked texts of her Wall Street speeches, Hillary once told a roomful of bankers that she can no longer relate to the middle class. What she COULD relate to is power, which she assumed was hers for the taking in 2016. But her private disdain for us common folk translated to a campaign that was fueled by arrogance and over confidence. For example, she spent little or no time campaigning in some of the Midwestern states which she took for granted. That alone cost her the election, even absent the other nine reasons.
Regardless of why they lost the White House in 2016, Democrats now have four years to regroup and re-examine. They need to come to terms with their mistakes, or else prepare for two terms of Trump.