Bernie Sanders Effectively Tied Hillary Clinton In Iowa. That's a Reminder of Clinton's Weakness as a Candidate.
She blew a 30-point lead in just a few months.
Neither Bernie Sanders nor Hillary Clinton claimed victory in their post-Iowa caucus speeches last night, and the final winner likely won't be known for a while. But since the candidates will split the delegate pool, it effectively means that Bernie Sanders drew Clinton to a tie. (Indeed, a handful of the delegates—possibly enough to decide the final victor—appear to have decided by coin toss.)
Relatively speaking, that outcome has to be counted as a win for Sanders and a loss for Hillary Clinton. It's a loss that shows how weak a candidate Hillary Clinton really is.
Iowa, of course, has never been particularly kind to the Clintons. Hillary's husband Bill not only lost the caucus in 1992 to home-state Senator Tom Harkin, who came in behind both Paul Tsongas and the more than 11 percent of the state's Democratic caucus-goers who chose "uncommitted" over Bill Clinton, who was still a long-shot candidate at the time. And Hillary Clinton, of course, lost the 2008 Iowa caucus to Barack Obama, coming in third place in a near-tie with John Edwards.
But it's not just that Iowa doesn't like the Clintons.
Hillary Clinton didn't just lose—she blew a lead that as recently as November was roughly 30 points ahead of Sanders. In the middle of January, she was still running 10 to 12 points ahead.
In the end, Hillary Clinton may eke out a technical victory in Iowa, "winning" by a handful of coin-toss delegates. But the main thing that happened last night was that Hillary Clinton lost her huge lead. That's incredibly telling about her strength as a candidate.
It's often said that as voting day nears, people get more serious about their choices, and they tend to shift support to more practical candidates. Hillary Clinton ran explicitly as the practical choice for Democrats, and she did so with the financial and organizational backing of much of the Democratic establishment. And yet in the weeks and months leading up to the vote, it seems that Iowans shifted away from her—and towards a self-avowed democratic socialist Senator promising to scrap Obamacare and replace it with an impossibly expensive single-payer plan.
That tells you something about the mood of the Democratic party. Like the GOP, it is in revolt against its establishment and it is deeply dissatisfied with the political status quo, which Hillary Clinton, more than any other candidate this year, represents.
But it's also telling about Hillary Clinton's general weaknesses as a candidate: Unlike the Republican race, where establishment candidates have never had a strong foothold, Hillary Clinton had a substantial lead—and lost it as people got to know her more.
This isn't the first time something like this has happened to Clinton either. Her 2014 book tour in support of Hard Choices was supposed to be an early trial run for her presidential campaign, was a gaffe–packed disappointment, if not a flop. And early on, Clinton was widely expected to roll to victory in the 2008 Democratic primary. She blew it then too.
Hillary Clinton may well still be the Democratic nominee this year—I'd still rank her the overall favorite—and she might even take the White House. But it won't be a cakewalk, like so many insiders and Clinton allies seemed to have assumed for the last year or so. The general election is likely to be close and competitive in most scenarios, and especially with Clinton on the ticket. And that ought to make Democrats nervous: Her virtual tie with Sanders last night shows just how hard it can be for her to win a should-be easy race.
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She blew a 30-point lead in just a few months…to a guy who isn’t even trying to win.
You really think he wasnt trying to win? He concerns me the most. Once his followers get a taste of free stuff they want more and more
I think he was running for VP until her negatives really started to kick in.
I dont think he was ever going for vp.
I think he was going for VP when he dismissed her email scandal, after that he smelled blood.
Yea that was weird but i thought that was more he was in it to get her to pull left and clarify things. Also to make the race competitive.
He was going for VP when he still thought Hillary was human, and assumed she would die sometime in the next 8 years, He now knows that the latest firmware upgrades combined with the core of pure evil will keep her going at least another decade.
I would guess vp would be squaw, castro or booker
Castro or Booker. Hillary doesn’t need another female on the ticket and she wants someone who will knuckle under and completely tow the Hillary line. She wants a Biden, but preferably a non-white version for minority appeal.
I wouldn’t write Fauxcahontas out just yet. Hillary will need to motivate the Democratic base, especially if there is a perception that Uncle Bernie got robbed in the primaries. Nobody will do that like Elizabeth Warren.
I still think those two had a deal going in. Warren agrees not to run, and Hillary agrees to make her the VP pick. Hillary gets a safe, easy primary (because who could have predicted that Bernie Freaking Sanders would put up a real fight), a VP that pumps up the base and doubles the ‘girl power’ ticket effect, and gets her name in the history books as FIRST WOMYN PRESIDENT!!!! Then at the end of her first term she announces that she doesn’t want to run for reelection, due to her age, health, and desire to spend more time with her grandchildren and Warren gets to run as a sitting VP instead of a rookie Senator.
If you really want trouble sleeping, Hillary could always resign just a little over midway into her first term, and then we could potentially have President Elizabeth Warren for 10 years.
Thanks alot.
He entered the race as a strategic move to raise his own profile. Hillary welcomed him to the race because she believed (a) his presence reduced the chances a credible opponent would run to her left and (b) he was not a serious threat.
His downplaying the issues (email, etc) which will be used against her in the general shows he isn’t (wasn’t?) willing to burn bridges with her in order to win.
“She blew a 30-point lead in just a few months…”
Hillary never blew.
The winning by coin toss is going to hurt her the most. It delegitimizes her victory and feeds into the corruption cloud that follows her.
That right there is the ‘Dark Money’ in politics.
And it serves its dark master
From my point of view, the Money is evil!
The Mint will commemorate her victory with a limited edition quarter, which will feature Hillary’s head on both sides.
The Mint will commemorate her victory with a limited edition quarter, which will feature Hillary’s head on both sides.
With a campaign slogan of “Technically Not Under FBI Investigation!” how could she not lose?
Is that even true?
Not even close to being true. Not only is the FBI investigating the crap out of her, they’re practically in open rebellion against Obama and his Justice Department for all the political games they’ve been playing.
“subject of an investigation” is I believe a term of art and it means that DOJ has said you are a subject. Of course the Obama DOJ has not designated Hillary as such. So the various hack journalists and facebook denizens can claim she is “not the subject of an FBI investigation” as if that matters and the entire world doesn’t see them investigating the shit out of her.
“Is that even true?”
How does that matter?
At this point, what does it matter?
Without Paul this is all entertainment, leaving me to hope for The “Other” Hair vs. The Doddering Uncle.
Rand Paul is still in the game. Top 5 in Iowa, baby. Last man standing wins. Somewhere along the line the voters could realize only one candidate is sane.
Zero percent chance, as much as I would love to think it’s possible.
I wonder if the DNC will use their super delegates to save the Felon or to rope in as candidate the Stupidest Man to be Vice President?
Bernie has the potential to be the next George McGovern. Hillary has the potential to be the next Walter Mondale.
-jcr
Is anyone else concerned like i am regarding comrade sanders? People that are idiots with economics are far more concerning than crooks. I know the whole republican house, but if sanders wins the proggies will smell blood for the free stuff. I think the house may flip back
I can’t imagine any scenario where the House flips back. The only way Sanders wins is by the media convincing the country the Republican nominee is THE RACIST. That might happen but that didn’t translate into the Democrats taking the House in 2012 and I can’t see it translating this year.
That’s going to be a fun media line if the Republican nominee ends up being a hispanic, which appears quite likely, and the Dem nominee is an old white guy.
If it is Cruz or Rubio, it will suddenly be totally okay to hate Cubans. And if it is one of them and Nicky Haley as VP, we will be hearing a lot about the dirty Indians and especially the really dirty ones who betray their culture by giving up Hinduism.
Can you imagine the Dalmia butthurt over a Cruz Haley ticket?
I think for much of the Left it’s already totally okay to hate Cubans.
OK to hate Cubans who left Cuba and denounce Castro. How dare they not take advantage of the wonderful health care system on the island, and instead show they prefer America’s broken system?
And if it is one of them and Nicky Haley as VP, we will be hearing a lot about the dirty Indians and especially the really dirty ones who betray their culture by giving up Hinduism.
Come on, John! Who would say a thing like that??
Mr Urban, next you are going to tell me Reason publishes articles that engage in the worst sort of racial stereotyping of Mexicans as manual laborers.
Yeah the entire Democratic field and bench made up of old, rich white people.
IRONY
I suppose it’s possible, but I just don’t see Republicans losing the house. It almost makes me want Sanders to win the whole damn thing. He’ll get nothing done against a Republican Congress, but he’ll talk crazier and crazier all the time, hopefully ending the lure of socialism in the process. He’s safer for libertarians than a Republican in the White House with a complicit Congress, don’t you think?
You mean the way Barry has kept us safe with his pen? We have a weaponized 4th branch of gov’t: bureaucracy. I can’t think of a worse person to give that to than a Chavez wannabe.
“He’ll get nothing done against a Republican Congress, but he’ll talk crazier and crazier all the time, hopefully ending the lure of socialism in the process.”
Or he’ could go down the Chavez route and call for “social resistance” to the right wing extremists who have taken over Congress against the will of the people. No, that’s just crazy talk, Sanders isn’t some kind of radical.
That could be Hillary’s slogan: “Because Communists Are Scarier Than Crooks”
… a loss for Hillary Clinton.
Beautiful words.
Hillary is imploding. The email thing is not going to go away. Hillary has won one election in her life, running for Senate in New York. She has never been a good candidate or a likable person. She is entirely a creation of the media.
Sanders is likely to beat her like a drum in New Hampshire. Twenty years ago that wouldn’t matter because Hillary could depend on winning in the south and Midwest where more moderate Democrats ruled. Well, there are no more moderate Democrats left in those places, especially in the South. I wouldn’t write her off but I think Sanders might win and even if he doesn’t it is going to be dreadfully close.
I am enjoying her desperation.
Oh, Mrs. Clinton, I’m suuure that question wasn’t planted into the audience. I’m sure that anyone who thought that was a pathetic attempt to sway Obama to quash your legal problems is just being a big meanie!
Its like watching a bad TV melodrama in real life. The villain, after 20 years of villainy is finally seeing justice served.
“I’m sure that anyone who thought that was a pathetic attempt to sway Obama to quash your legal problems is just being a big meanie!”
I don’t think that was an appeal to Obama. I think that was an appeal to former Obama voters who are now leaning towards Sanders.
“Well, there are no more moderate Democrats left in those places, especially in the South. ”
No, I disagree with that statement. There aren’t nearly as many moderate Democrat politicians in the South. They’ve all but been wiped out by the Parties move to the Left on cultural issues. However, there are plenty of centrist Democrats that will pull the lever for Hillary. She can still win VA and FL. And those would be enough to win the country.
Well, there are no more moderate Democrats left in those places, especially in the South.
What is Jim Webb, chopped liv- oh.
His candidacy lasted what? Two weeks? Yeah, I would say chopped liver is being charitable.
I’m pissed!!!
I was so certain it would be Jim Webb vs Scott Walker.
If the Democrats had not gone insane and the Republicans even pretended to give a shit about what their supporters want, the election would be something like Webb versus Cruz or Rand Paul.
Instead, we stand at least a one in three chance of getting Bernie versus Trump. Yeah, the political system is very broken.
And that’s an awesome thing because they’re independents who belong to the non-tribe tribe. Er…
I think the statists in both parties will do anything to have HRC win the crown. They are on a roll started by “if you disagree, you’re racist” BHO… advanced by “boo hoo, her’s the check” JAB, then further financed by “wolf in sheep’s clothing – here’s a BIGGER check” PDR.
The don’t want a setback or even to slow down, which they would get with Trump or more so with Paul/Cruz. They would take fellow statists Jeb! or Rubio, but they won’t get the speed or talking points they’d get with HRC.
They need “You hate womenz!”, “Fake Scandal” and “It’s ‘HARD’ to get things done with GOP”.
I have no faith in the voting process. We’re up against people with a lot of money, contacts and power. You think they’re going to let peons pick the next prez? Pfft!
2 months ago, Clinton supporters were praying for a Trump victory on the Republican side. But Trump is way more in tune with voters than Clinton. It would be a wipeout.
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had someone actually argue in favor of hillary today on the basis that judgment and keeping secrets were overvalued assets in a presidential candidate.
Stupid progg tears are, literally, the sweetest.
“had someone actually argue in favor of hillary today on the basis that judgment and keeping secrets were overvalued assets in a presidential candidate.”
On these very pages,commie-kid has argued that her handling of the emails was no more serious than a journalist not having the proper credentials.
Lefties will go to great extremes in dishonesty in order to support another lefty.
I remember when word first got out about Hillary’s private server. Glenn Thrush of Politico’s response was ‘Y’know, a Secretary of State who just says ‘fuck you’ to the concept of Congressional oversight and the Freedom of Information Act is just the sort of badass thing I want a President to do!’
So,not only claiming that judgment and keeping secrets were overvalued assets, but actually claiming that pissing all over those qualities was an outright plus.
Peter’s happy that Hillary sucks worse than he does.