Clinton’s Wall Street Connections Hurt
Last night’s forum didn’t help her win hearts and minds.
Wednesday’s forum between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire didn’t help Clinton win hearts and minds in that state. After the virtual tie in Iowa, the Democrat candidates headed over to New Hampshire to campaign before the primary. Socialist Bernie Sanders essentially has home-field advantage, what with New Hampshire populated with white liberals going gaga over the senator from their neighboring state. Yet Clinton has unleashed her ground game in hopes of mitigating her losses.
At the forum hosted by CNN, Sanders said his goal was nothing short of upending the U.S. political system. “What this campaign is about is not just electing a president,” Sanders said. “It is creating a political revolution where millions of people, many of whom have not been involved in the political process, stand up and demand a government which represents all of us, not just wealthy campaign contributors.”
Meanwhile, Clinton was left defending her deep Wall Street connections, and defending the health care system her socialist competitor wants to replace with single-payer. Sanders attacked Clinton for having a Super PAC. And when moderator Anderson Cooper asked Clinton why she had to be paid $675,000 in speaking fees from Goldman Sachs, the once “dead broke” candidate stammered, “Well, I don’t know. Um, that’s what they offered, so…”
We noted last month that connections to Wall Street have hurt candidates on both sides of this race, as Wall Street is unpopular with both grassroots liberals and conservatives. But Clinton had her scapegoat: That vast right-wing conspiracy again. Now, it’s in the open, Clinton shrilled, and, “It’s gotten even better funded.” Last night, Clinton partied like it was 1999, while Sanders partied like it was 1949 — in China.