2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: In the end, Bernie Sanders was right, and what the Democrats need to learn from his campaign. [View all]jake335544
(53 posts)Clinton had some serious message cohesion issues, we can't pretend she didn't. First half of the race was third way, "free community college", "iron out Obamacare, we need to keep the market insurance system", "trade deals are good, TPP might be ok?"
Second half of the race was leaning progressive: "means-tested free college", I think her campaigned pushed a public option for a *day*, paid maternity leave. Really very little of the above policy proposals were campaigned on, she just ran hits on Trump.
For about the entire first half of 2016, her campaign hyped gun-control so much that down-ticket Dems all ran on it. 1st half of 2016 was almost exclusively "let's take guns away". Good way to hit Sanders from the left. Bad general election message.
Second half of 2016 was just trying keep Sanders supporters in line with vague messaging about "standing with her" and "standing together" "building bridges". And keeping disaffected Republicans in line with attacks on Trump's character.
Taken as a whole it was a message-less campaign in an economy where people are looking for straight answers and we have to learn from that mistake.