Politically, the Clintons Are Done
A NY Times article today says that Hillary Clinton blames FBI Director Comey for her loss. I understand her complaint, but her loss was multifaceted. The Comey sabotage was a factor, but so was her campaign’s failure to focus more on the Dem platform (partially crafted by Sanders’ followers) in order to portray her as an agent of change (rather than, as most people saw her, the candidate of the status quo establishment, or Obama 2.0). There were other contributing factors as well, such as the Democratic Party’s abandonment of the middle class over the last several decades (see Thomas Frank’s new book “Listen, Liberals”).
Democrats (if they hope to have electoral success in the future) must do some deep self-reflective soul searching, and especially connect with their historically traditional working and middle class roots. Merely blaming one hostile opponent outside the Democratic Party, however influential, doesn’t begin to get to the depth of the work they need to do.
With all due respect, the Clintons — after last Tuesday — will not play an appreciable role in the future of the Democratic Party, if it is to be successful electorally.
Politically, they’re done.