Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has had a less than ideal start now that actual voting has begun in the Presidential primaries. Last week she essentially tied Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., in Iowa, a state that she was winning by 20 points as late as Thanksgiving. The primary in New Hampshire this week also will prove to be a tough battle for her in which she’ll probably end up losing resoundingly. A lot can be said about why and how Sen. Sanders has taken away from Clinton’s lead in the polls. One significant factor has been his ability to garner the support of younger voters, especially those under the age of 30. Secretary Clinton still looks like the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, but, when she does, she faces a daunting task in winning back the support of the youth.
Sen. Sanders has clobbered Secretary Clinton in the first two states of Iowa and New Hampshire with the millennial vote. In the Iowa caucuses Sen. Sanders got 84 percent to Secretary Clinton’s 16 percent with voters under 30, which is especially astounding considering that then-Sen. Barack Obama only got 57 percent of the youth vote in the Iowa caucuses back in 2008. Sen. Sanders is expected to do well with millennials again in New Hampshire with some polls showing him with as much as 87 percent of millennial voters. His lead among millennials is unbelievable but probably not enough for him to make up ground against Clinton in other demographics.
Clinton has been facing this youth problem since the 2008 campaign, but this election cycle it has proven to be much worse. Most voters between the ages of 18-29 hardly remember the Clinton presidency, and most younger voters see her as a figure of the D.C. establishment. The policies that were embraced by her husband during the 1990s hardly match up with the current positions of the Democratic base. Secretary Clinton has seemed to change her mind on nearly every issue, including gay marriage, gun rights and trade deals. At this point, Clinton would probably be willing to hold a rally with Dean Strang and Jerry Buting to free Steven Avery if she saw polls that showed it would win her votes. She has become the epitome of what so many people despise about politics; a candidate willing to change her mind as soon as she sees it will win her votes.
Normally this probably would not be as big of a deal except that Secretary Clinton is running against someone who has hardly ever changed his position on an issue. Sen. Sanders has a long track record based on his progressive principles and has not sacrificed his principles to win elections. One thing that Sen. Sanders has that Clinton doesn’t is authenticity. Say what you will about Sanders’ costly and fantastical policies, but he truly believes what he is advocating for. His positions on issues have been consistent over 30 years in public office compared to Clinton who has changed her mind on nearly every major issue. Sanders’ authenticity is unmatched this cycle and only seems to highlight Clinton’s calculated political positions even more.
Secretary Clinton has attempted to win back younger voters this cycle, but her efforts have been fruitless. Her pursuit to win back younger voters has been brutally painful and has seemed to only make her standing with younger voters worse. What Secretary Clinton’s campaign does not understand is that putting her on Ellen to do the “dab” or the “Nae Nae” is not going to make her more likable with younger voters. All voters, including young voters, want to see authenticity in their candidates, which Sanders possesses and Clinton does not.
Ultimately, Secretary Clinton will most likely end up prevailing as the Democratic nominee, but she will have to win back these millennial voters if she wants to reestablish the coalition that elected President Obama. President Obama was able to prevail, in part, in 2008 and 2012 due to his ability to run up the vote with younger voters. For Clinton to win in 2016 she will need to do the same and, if she doesn’t, Republicans will have a shot at winning states that they didn’t against President Obama.
Republicans will have a chance to make inroads with millennial voters if they chose to nominate someone who can appeal to younger voters. Too often GOP candidates fail to reach millennial voters, but 2016 can be different, especially if Secretary Clinton becomes the Democratic nominee. The GOP candidate can appeal to millennial voters by talking about issues that matter to them such as fixing our bureaucratic and costly higher education system, and improving our economy for those just about to enter the workforce. Millennial voters want to vote for someone who understands their problems and believes in what they are saying. That’s why they’ve been so turned off by Secretary Clinton, which provides an opportunity for the Republican Party to reach out to these voters if Clinton wins the nomination.
Charlie is a senior majoring in journalism and economics. Do you believe Secretary Clinton is out of touch with millennial voters? If so, do you think it is too late for her to reconnect with this voter base? Please send all comments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
