Democrats March Toward Cliff
Published on
Monday, April 18, 2016
by
Consortium News
Democrats March Toward Cliff
Barack Obama once called Hillary Clinton "likable enough," but a new poll
raises doubts about that, as the Democratic frontrunner's net-negative has
nearly doubled to 24 points
by
Robert Parry
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders and former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spar during a presidential primary debate
at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, Feb. 4, 2016. (Photo: AP)
As Democratic-insider "super-delegates" give Hillary Clinton a seemingly
insurmountable lead for the presidential nomination, the former Secretary of
State's negative ratings continue to soar to stunning levels, hitting a net
24-point unfavorable in the new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll.
It is hard to imagine someone who is viewed unfavorably by a clear majority
of voters (56 percent) and with a net-negative of 24 points winning the
White House, except that most voters also don't like the top Republican
choices either. Donald Trump sports a 41-point net-negative and Sen. Ted
Cruz is at minus-23 points. (By contrast, of the two trailing candidates,
Sen. Bernie Sanders gets a net-positive 9 points and Gov. John Kasich a
net-positive 12 points.)
But a major difference between Trump and Clinton in the latest poll is that
Trump's numbers haven't moved much while Clinton's net-negative has almost
doubled in the last month. In other words, the more Americans get to see of
Clinton the more they don't want her.
While Clinton's dismal approval ratings haven't seemed to have shaken the
Democratic establishment, which continues to line up behind her
long-anticipated coronation, some outside analysts see the party leaders
blindly marching toward a cliff.
Despite Sanders's string of victories, Clinton still leads him in elected
delegates, but her daunting lead comes from her dominance of
"super-delegates," party insiders who are not chosen by primaries or
caucuses but still get to vote at the convention. According to The
Associated Press tally, Clinton has 1,289 elected delegates to Sanders's
1,045, but she has the backing of 469 "super-delegates" to Sanders's 31. To
win requires 2,383 delegates.
So, if Clinton's eventual nomination is inevitable, the Democrats will be
putting up a candidate who is broadly disliked by the American people. That
means a Clinton candidacy will require massive spending on negative ads to
make the Republican candidate so frightening in the eyes of most Americans
that they will vote for Clinton out of fear, not hope.
There's also the irony that although most attention has focused on the
Republican need for a brokered convention - to block a Trump nomination - an
argument could be made that the Democrats would benefit from a brokered
convention themselves.
If neither Clinton nor Sanders could clinch the nomination on the first
ballot, that could open the process to allow the party to select an
alternative who has not been in the race, someone such as Sen. Elizabeth
Warren, an economic populist who is beloved by Sanders's backers and a woman
who might be acceptable to Clinton supporters wanting the first female
President.
Still, such a possibility does not appear to be in the cards. The odds
remain heavily weighted in favor of Clinton securing the nomination and the
Democrats then trying to make the best of her soaring unfavorable numbers.
In a 2008 debate, addressing a question about Clinton's high negatives,
then-Sen. Barack Obama condescending opined that "you're likable enough,
Hillary." But it turns out Obama may have been overstating the case. With
her current unfavorable level at 56 percent - and only 32 percent holding a
favorable view - many voters seem to be saying, she's not likable enough.
C 2015 Consortium News
Robert Parry
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Democrats March Toward Cliff
Published on
Monday, April 18, 2016
by
Consortium News
Democrats March Toward Cliff
Barack Obama once called Hillary Clinton "likable enough," but a new poll
raises doubts about that, as the Democratic frontrunner's net-negative has
nearly doubled to 24 points
by
Robert Parry
. 11 Comments
.
. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders and former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spar during a presidential primary debate
at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, Feb. 4, 2016. (Photo: AP)
. As Democratic-insider "super-delegates" give Hillary Clinton a
seemingly insurmountable lead for the presidential nomination, the former
Secretary of State's negative ratings continue to soar to stunning levels,
hitting a net 24-point unfavorable in the new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll.
. It is hard to imagine someone who is viewed unfavorably by a clear
majority of voters (56 percent) and with a net-negative of 24 points winning
the White House, except that most voters also don't like the top Republican
choices either. Donald Trump sports a 41-point net-negative and Sen. Ted
Cruz is at minus-23 points. (By contrast, of the two trailing candidates,
Sen. Bernie Sanders gets a net-positive 9 points and Gov. John Kasich a
net-positive 12 points.)
. But a major difference between Trump and Clinton in the latest poll
is that Trump's numbers haven't moved much while Clinton's net-negative has
almost doubled in the last month. In other words, the more Americans get to
see of Clinton the more they don't want her.
. While Clinton's dismal approval ratings haven't seemed to have
shaken the Democratic establishment, which continues to line up behind her
long-anticipated coronation, some outside analysts see the party leaders
blindly marching toward a cliff.
https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1493/donate_page/spring2016-articlehttps:
//salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1493/donate_page/spring2016-article
Despite Sanders's string of victories, Clinton still leads him in elected
delegates, but her daunting lead comes from her dominance of
"super-delegates," party insiders who are not chosen by primaries or
caucuses but still get to vote at the convention. According to The
Associated Press tally, Clinton has 1,289 elected delegates to Sanders's
1,045, but she has the backing of 469 "super-delegates" to Sanders's 31. To
win requires 2,383 delegates.
So, if Clinton's eventual nomination is inevitable, the Democrats will be
putting up a candidate who is broadly disliked by the American people. That
means a Clinton candidacy will require massive spending on negative ads to
make the Republican candidate so frightening in the eyes of most Americans
that they will vote for Clinton out of fear, not hope.
There's also the irony that although most attention has focused on the
Republican need for a brokered convention - to block a Trump nomination - an
argument could be made that the Democrats would benefit from a brokered
convention themselves.
If neither Clinton nor Sanders could clinch the nomination on the first
ballot, that could open the process to allow the party to select an
alternative who has not been in the race, someone such as Sen. Elizabeth
Warren, an economic populist who is beloved by Sanders's backers and a woman
who might be acceptable to Clinton supporters wanting the first female
President.
Still, such a possibility does not appear to be in the cards. The odds
remain heavily weighted in favor of Clinton securing the nomination and the
Democrats then trying to make the best of her soaring unfavorable numbers.
In a 2008 debate, addressing a question about Clinton's high negatives,
then-Sen. Barack Obama condescending opined that "you're likable enough,
Hillary." But it turns out Obama may have been overstating the case. With
her current unfavorable level at 56 percent - and only 32 percent holding a
favorable view - many voters seem to be saying, she's not likable enough.
C 2015 Consortium News
