The Hate for Hillary

by Eoin Keane

From the outset, it seemed that the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. President would never be as entertaining, as nasty or as unpredictable as the race on the Republican side.

The tone, however, has changed. It is clear that Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, but this doesn’t sit well with supporters of her rival,  Bernie Sanders. It remains to be seen if Sanders will mellow in his criticism of the former Secretary of State, or even if the two candidates’ supporters will unite to elect the eventual Democratic nominee in November.

Indeed, vitriol for Clinton is now commonplace in the Sanders’ campaign. A brief mention of her name at one of Sanders’ rallies continues to incite boos and whistles from the crowd. Bernie Sanders points out that Clinton is a member of the establishment, artfully painting her as beholden to financial interests, as someone not worthy of the American public’s trust. While the phenomenon of the “Bernie Bro” is exaggerated, but there is considerable backlash on social media for those professing an admiration for the former Secretary of State. Bernie Sanders has alleged that she is “unqualified” to be President. He has repeatedly dismissed her landslide wins in the Deep South as the electorate there is “conservative”, and his supporters have alleged electoral fraud in other States where Clinton has won easily, including New York and Arizona. Dr. Paul Song, a health-care activist and Sanders surrogate, criticised the “Democratic whores” in Congress, mentioning Clinton in the next sentence. A loud group of protesters picketed a San Francisco Clinton fundraiser hosted by George and Amal Clooney on April 16, while Clinton’s motorcade was showered in dollar bills as she arrived, the protesters then stamping on the money after she had passed.

Where does this hatred for Hillary originate?

Hillary Clinton has been in the public eye since her husband Bill’s election in 1992, and has remained a controversial figure since. She originally drew conservative ire by trying to introduce universal health-care in the early years of her husband’s presidency.  She has often been painted as driven and ruthless. Her evolving positions on subjects such as gay marriage and TTIP make her seem duplicitous. She has caused controversy over her “racist” comments made in support of her husband’s 1996 crime bill. Clinton’s use of a private email server while serving as Secretary of State is a controversy of her own making, and one that raises questions about her judgement. Although she has built a diverse coalition of support, encompassing black voters, Latino voters, older voters and white women, the millennials and white men flocking to Sanders seem to hold contempt for her.

This is perhaps one of the most interesting developments of the campaign – the fact that millennials and white men seem so disgusted by Clinton. Many compare the candidates as a fight between idealism (Sanders) and pragmatism (Clinton). Sanders wants to remove moneyed interests from politics, introduce socialism across the States and provide free healthcare and free college education by taxing Wall Street. Clinton is far more cautious, with policy-heavy plans that promise incremental change. It is possible that millennials are dismissive of pragmatism – and would rather see sweeping change in the form of a political revolution as Sanders promises. Many millennials believe she is tainted by political donations, is too hawkish on foreign policy, is untrustworthy and overly cautious, and should be reprimanded for racially tinged comments made in the past. Hillary, once a villain for the right-wing in America compared to an ambitious Lady Macbeth figure, is now the target for the progressive left-wing. Even she must be surprised at this volte-face.

With the Democratic nomination within her grasp, Hillary Clinton is preparing to pivot to the general election in November, and the likely challenge from Donald Trump. Bernie Sanders’ supporters may not be ready to pivot just yet.

Some Democratic politicians have expressed concern that it may be difficult to convince Sanders’ supporters to coalesce around Clinton as the Democratic nominee. Susan Sarandon, the actress and Sanders supporter, demurred when asked if she could eventually support Clinton. “Some people feel Donald Trump will bring the revolution immediately,” she replied.

Will those expressing hatred for Hillary find an unlikely home as part of Trump’s coalition?

Image by Marc Nozell, taken from flickr