It’s quite disheartening to see Hillary moving back into the public eye. This is bad for the Democrats, good for the Republicans, and bad for the country. The right wing just got back its favorite punching bag.
I was thoroughly in Hillary's camp during the election. Of all the candidates, it was clear to me that none were as qualified as she to run the country. No second-guessing or arguments from me about her lacking sufficient progressive leanings. No bemoaning the Democratic Party machine as being full of dirty tricks and being a bad actor, or Hillary’s purportedly tainted past.
Given the world situation and domestic concerns, Hillary was the best choice, the one with whom I felt most comfortable.
As the campaign waged on, I felt Hillary became less and less a favorable candidate. Her manner and her campaign did not sell her well. The problem worsened as the party made huge mistakes in accepting Bernie as a viable candidate, even though he lacked party credentials. Hillary played the role of the presumptive nominee and the presumptive winner, which weakened her. It made her seem cocksure, arrogant. That worked for Trump, but worked against Hillary. This presumption, this sense of having already won before the primaries were over, added to the negative perceptions of her personality. This was a disappointment. Her speeches were less about plans and actions she would take, and more about how she was the one, not Trump, not Bernie. It was defense, not offense.
As the campaign went on she catered more and more to the Bernie crowd, to shore up that segment of the voter public. As though they were going to vote for Trump? And she never cut a strong, irrefutable deal with Bernie to get him on the stump after he lost the campaign, working his butt off for her to win. That's as much a reason to have issues with Bernie as it is to question how Hillary's people handled this part of the battle. It reflects poorly on both of them that this was the case. And yet, regarding the two as politicians, tacticians and people, it provides clarity and insight.
Since the election, despite winning the popular vote, Hillary has not enjoyed the wistful mood of a public that feels the loss of her leadership, Rather, the shock and disgust with Trump has far overshadowed most concern about Hillary and what she's up to. And Bernie has somehow become a [news] media darling, appearing on CNN and MSNBC, plus the Sunday morning talking heads programs.
The Democrats went through a significant internal tempest after the election. The race for party chair played out, as interim Donna Brazille had stepped down. The progressive candidate from Minnesota, Congressman Keith Ellison, had Bernie's support. Tom Perez, the more old-school, Virginia-based, candidate and former Obama era Labor Secretary, ran with much support of the traditional wing of the party. But where was Hillary in this race? Unheard, or so it seemed to me. If she had a horse in that race, I never heard hide nor hair of it.
The sad reality is that Hillary lost. She carries the loss with her as part, now, of her brand. And she lost to a dunderhead, even if he did have help from the Russians. Her faults were major contributors to the lack of sufficient popular votes to carry over the Electoral College. The private email server, even though it did the country none of the harm as accused, was a major error. She will not live that down. There will be anti-Hillary types who will say, “Benghazi!” or “the email!” or “her personal email server!” or “the Clinton Foundation!” with each one (or more) considered a truthful denigration, a testament to her unworthiness, her lack of credibility, values or trustworthiness. Or, worse, her guilt, her criminality.
The email did her in. That FBI Director Comey, either on his own or at the behest of others, chose to bring that up again a week before the election, made it a major issue as the vote was days away. This took those many of those on the fence and put them in Trump's camp. The issues of trust, truth, and worthiness were once again put in question, and were all over the news. Late news on this suggests that Comey may have been swayed by fake news, planted by the Russians, to reopen the Hillary email investigation.
It just doesn't seem as though Hillary can wage a winning campaign for President again. Mayor of NYC? Sure. But not POTUS. And Hillary back, now, with a new organization, emailing her contact list and back in the public eye: not a good idea. Her best bet is to be in the back room working with the party chiefs to find the best candidates to move forward.
The reality is that Bill Clinton is the Clinton with the campaigning and political skills that the party should turn to. He is as skillful and wise a politician as one can find. The Clinton the party should look to for advice and counsel is Bill, not Hillary.
The Democrats need new leadership and a new face to represent that leadership, heading toward the 2020 race.
A fresh face that is centrist enough to please the masses but forward-thinking enough to gain the trust and confidence of the Bernie wing is what's needed by the Democrats. Perhaps Sherrod Brown from Ohio is such a candidate.
It's time for Hilary to back off, and the party to wake up and find itself, dusting off the failed past, the recent loss, and the lack of rising stars. Now is the time to groom the up and coming Democrats, to build regional awareness. And to expand that over the next two years so that as 2020 comes closer, a likely and newly familiar name comes into the fore. Much like the rise of Obama in 2004, the time is right for a new party leader to emerge.
