Hillary's campaign has offered some progressive policies, along with a boatload of promises, and sprinkling of progressive pandering. Her campaign is letting Donald Trump make a fool out of Republicans and is tightly controlling its message; in other words, it's playing not to lose. That strategy reminds me of 2007 when a fresh faced Barack Obama became a blank canvass for progressive aspirations and beat an overly cautious, coasting Hillary.
Now, that canvass is a finished painting - a more tangible embodiment of progressive populism named Bernie. Hillary has responded by moving mildly to the left with an economic policy agenda that has offered specifics on 'safe' ideas - such as giving more time off for families (who wouldn't want that?). There's also a heaping helping of "just trust me" on actual meaningful reforms, and pandering, which inspired this diary.
Pandering, is playing to lose. The impression of Hillary being unauthentic - whether deserved or not - already exists. ...AND #hello! Millenials. Nobody retreats from BS faster than they do.
Her attack on Uber - an attempt to show some popular progressive grit - is a great example, lacking nuance, and without a shred of long-term thinking. It was nothing more than a kernel of "me too" progressiveness that smells fake, and more significantly, a huge missed opportunity to play to her strengths. She made herself appear anti-business while being simultaneously unconvincing to her actual progressive audience.
That's very disconcerting, because Hillary is a policy wonk.
She's supposed to be the smartest person in the room, and that's not being demonstrated by her campaign. Her policy on Uber could have showcased her credentials by proposing thoughtful, nuanced ideas: e.g.: a new federal worker status between 1099 and W2. That would give her supporters something to talk about and impress fence sitters other then: 'get with the program' or just going out of their way to diminish Sanders. The "smart" approach also differentiates her from Bernie, who she cannot 'out populist'.
This ham-handed Clintonian pandering has left me on the sidelines and very dissatisfied. I've donated to both candidates and reject the tribalism that leaves the party fractured (and annoys the hell out of me). They are both good in their own ways (Bernie is great domestically, but hasn't shown the temperament to be President and deal with delicate world issues). Anyone who's been around Kos for a while will remember me as an ardent Hillary supporter in 2007. She's just not offering enough reason to think she's so wonderful for 2015.
Hillary's campaign is playing to lose, and doesn't seem to realize it. Her current policy agenda could have won her 2007. Its failure to realize that progressives are attuned to smell BS, nor completely address how so many are living on the edge of a cliff today, is evident. The country is more populist and seeking bolder solutions than in 2008.
The campaign quickly needs to decide whether she's the smartest person in the room or a "me too" panderer. The lost opportunities are beginning to pile up.