Throughout the 2016 presidential race, the Republican side has largely dominated the press, and it’s no wonder. Everyone enjoys a good Donald Trump tale, and he’s been perfectly game to keep the performance art rolling. There’s been plenty going on with the Democrats, but folks like to focus on the fun stuff like Hillary Clinton pretending to be your abuela and Bernie Sanders sparking some feeling the Bern jokes. Meanwhile, there’s an ongoing and serious race for the Democratic nomination.
We saw a slice of the animosity when Sanders threatened to sue the pants off the DNC over access to voter data (when his campaign allegedly hacked Clinton’s voter database). Team Sanders implied that Clinton’s side did it too, but that fight fizzled. Then sh*t got real last week when Chelsea Clinton came for Sanders’ healthcare plan. Abuela Clinton and Sanders fired several subsequent shots with both campaigns taking hits. Well, a new development has occurred. In the days since Clinton attacked Sanders’ plan, he’s quietly captured $3.1 million in additional campaign funds:
Amid escalating tensions with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders’ campaign has raised $3.1 million since Tuesday. The substantial haul, largely from online contributions, comes as the Vermont senator and the former secretary of state have sharpened their contrasts ahead of the voting in Iowa and New Hampshire.
While Clinton has outraised Sanders in every quarter thus far, the underdog senator has harnessed an online fundraising machine to outstrip all fundraising expectations, getting close to Clinton’s considerable hauls in the last six months of 2015. He has raised considerable sums during many of his fights with Clinton in recent months, deftly using her attacks to rally his grassroots base.
With Sanders surging over Clinton in Iowa and even Bill O’Reilly inadvertently passing a few votes in Sanders’ direction, it’s no wonder that Clinton has been growing more aggressive against her biggest competition.
Hence the New York Times trotting out word that Clinton underestimated Sanders’ pull, which is bolstered by the paper’s secret discussions with several Clinton aides and advisers. The interviewees spoke with the guarantee of anonymity and expressed concern at Clinton’s “vulnerabilities” in this race. There’s reportedly a lot of regret that too few Democratic debates were scheduled, and they’re all taking place on weekend evenings when no one’s watching. This ruins Clinton’s chances for capitalizing upon her public speaking skills, which are arguably stronger than Sanders’ abilities. There’s more, but this paragraph is key:
Several Democratic leaders agreed, saying the Clinton campaign underestimated Mr. Sanders from the start. They argued that Mrs. Clinton and her advisers should have competed against him more aggressively, in debates and on the campaign trail, rather than appear so sharply negative with their recent attacks, which have given the campaign a jumbled feeling heading into the first voting states. Even Chelsea Clinton jabbed at Mr. Sanders, an unusual move given that relatives are traditionally used in campaigns to soften a politician’s image.
Essentially, Clinton played it too safe for too long, and now she’s ramping up tactics at the last moment before Iowa comes to a head. She’s also doing so with negativity, which isn’t so productive for a candidate who spent time and resources attempting to appear softer and more “abuela-like.” While Clinton struggles, Sanders is shaking hands and winning votes. Plus, he’s pulled in a millions of dollars in only one week. No wonder Clinton is worried.
(Via Politico & New York Times)