Political pundits and others who eat, sleep, and breathe politics blamed everything from incorrect polling to an undercurrent of angry whites who tipped the election in Trump's favor. While in reality, Clinton's defeat was due to a cross-section of Americans disgusted with the status quo and lacked trust in the Democratic nominee.
To begin with, Clinton carried the African American vote in large numbers during the Democratic primaries in the deep South, but in the North, she struggled to gain black support. In Michigan, for instance, at least 30 percent of black voters backed Sen. Sanders in the State's primary, which played a role in her losing the contest. By November, discontent for the Democratic nominee had become widespread among African Americans, with a dip in voter turnout.
Many African Americans, especially in large Northern cities, fault Clinton for her husband's policies or measures he supported while president of the United States. The Clinton presidency is often credited with the start of the New Jim Crow in America, as generations of young black men were imprisoned on minor drug charges or fell victim to gross disparities in federal sentencing guidelines regarding crack and powder cocaine possession. Habitual offender laws also went into effect during Clinton's term, which impacts people of color and the poor, who often lack the resources to fight unlawful arrests or convictions. Lastly, welfare reform, signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1994, unfairly penalizes classes of Americans facing great difficulty in the job market.
The 2008 Democratic Primaries between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama also left a bitter taste in the mouth of African Americans. The South Carolina primary, for instance, ended in a slugfest between the candidates with nasty allegations on both sides. The Obama campaign, in a desperate attempt for African American support, took to black radio with a flurry of attacks on Clinton's ability to lead as former president Bill Clinton was accused of injecting race into the campaign, which antagonized African American leaders and likely led to Senator Clinton's defeat in a State with a heavy black population. The election outcome severely damaged race relations in the region, which had national implications for Democrats in 2016.
In addition to lingering hostilities from the 2008 campaign and issues with her husband's presidency, African Americans linked Clinton in the 2016 race to Obama's disappointing record on crime and jobs in the black community as a former cabinet member. The White House was seen as dragging its feet in confronting Stop and Frisk tactics across the country that targeted minorities, a rash of police shootings of unarmed black men throughout America, and deadly street violence in Chicago, Baltimore, and other major cities, with Secretary Clinton receiving some of the blame. Others bashed the president for not using the bully pulpit to expand economic opportunities in the black community in the wake of massive Republican opposition. And when the Clinton Campaign neglected to offer fresh alternatives in the way of jobs or how best to stop the migration of companies abroad, it diminished the candidate in the eyes of a community suffering economically.
A diverse group of whites abandoned Clinton as well on election day. It made the difference in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin when untold numbers of the middle class and poor white voters, many of whom voted for Obama twice, failed to show up for Secretary Clinton because of questionable trade deals she once supported, her backing of social issues deemed outdated to the heartland, and Trump's hope-filled message of making American great again or rebuilding the rust belt. Had the former first lady simply camped out in the Midwest or distant herself more forcefully from NAFTA or similar policies unpopular with countless hardworking Americans, for instance, she might be president today.
The Hispanic vote may have been the biggest disappointment for the Clinton campaign on election night, given the harsh criticism the community received from Trump. Their numbers were outmatched by a surge in rural white voting and possible voter intimidation to keep Hispanics from the polls, such as threats of deportation, even for those in this country legally. Had such not been the case, Clinton would have likely carried Florida to offset states she lost in the Midwest and could be president today.
Overall, Americans may have been scared off by reports regarding Clinton's time as secretary of state, including the Comey Letter, as some Democrats have indicated. When the former FBI director reopened Clinton's email investigation days before the election, it was seen as a cheap shop by Democratic leaders, who believed it shocked voters into supporting Trump. And when Mr. Comey found no wrongdoing on Clinton's part, the damage had been done.
To win in 2020, Democrats must get out the vote with a charismatic figure who can turn the tide in states the Democratic Party usually carries that Clinton lost by razor-thin margins.
