Despite bizarre memes on Hillary Clinton’s alleged “narrow electoral strategy” emanating, predictably, from The New York Times, it is not a stretch to claim that she is alone at the moment in her willingness to engage on bread and butter issues, taking bold positions on immigration, education, expanded voting rights and criminal justice reform. As a counterpoint, political strategist Shawna Vercher says she struggles to tout the current Republican field: “Scott Walker says he’d like to outlaw gay marriage. Is this really going to help Americans? That is not going to get people better schools or higher pay. Republicans seem out of touch with the working class. I’ve never seen that before.”
When Vercher wondered if Republicans are going to “get their clocks cleaned,” author and commentator Anita Finlay disagreed. “They have a built in advantage in that the beltway press is very negative to Hillary, starved for the next piece of click bait. They are now at the point where they are making stuff up.” Yet, despite this great equalizer, even Republican advisers felt candidates would not heed advice to lay off the Clinton attacks and just campaign on the issues. “It’s like a knee jerk reaction with these guys,” says Finlay, “no matter how many times they overplay their hand.”
Hillary Clinton is forcing Republicans to have a debate on the issues. As a long time policy wonk, Secretary Clinton once said “What gets measured gets done.” She will continue to challenge prospective opponents to clarify their own positions. Unless her opponents alter their current tactics, only the self-serving corporate owned media (with its own agenda) is likely to get in her way. Republicans are having too much fun with snark to get specific, though that is what the American people are waiting for.
Who will prevail? Get Shawna Vercher and Anita Finlay’s take on the latest edition of Dare We Say…
