2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: How Bernie's campaign contributed to Trump's win. [View all]Raster
(20,999 posts)...the lesson is that when a sizable portion of the electorate has trust issues with you, don't try and pull that "easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission" bullshit. Yeah, like that worked out so well.
Second lesson: Address the gnarly, ill-fitting and uncomfortable issues to the best of your ability, BECAUSE your opponent certainly will. Case in point: secret Wall Street speeches.
Third lesson: No matter how badly you want to be the first woman POTUS, and no matter how qualified you are, if the "vast right-wing conspiracy" has made a veritable industry out of spreading lies and innuendo about you, it is in YOUR best interests and those of your supporters, that you have your own "come-to-Jesus" meeting WITH YOURSELF and honestly appraise the reprocussions IF YOU LOSE. Especially, if you can retreat back to your million-dollar manse and lick your wounds while millions of your supporters will have to endure the fallout.