Re: Let's say I grant you this particular outrage cost Hillary the 2016 electionby Mischief Maker 05/03/2017, 8:15pm PDT
Vested Id wrote:
There has to be at least one non-apocalyptic theory on this, like that it's some kind of cyclical thing or something.
Thomas Frank, author of "What's the Matter with Kansas?" has the most compelling explanation, IMO:
tldr: Democrats made a conscious decision in the 70s to move away from representing the working class and their unions to representing the wealthy professional class. Bill Clinton really cements this in the 90s by passing a wave of right-wing legislation that Repiblican presidents couldn't do in their wet dreams. Republicans make a conscious effort to fill the populist void left by the democrats and begin a cycle of right-wing revolutions every 8 years or so (Reagain revolution, Contract with America, Bush jr, Tea Party, Trump).
Probably the most relevant to this discussion is Clinton's Sister Souljah strategy. Essentially treating the liberal base like shit because "where else you gonna go?" The whole "Bernie Bro" meme is an example of this strategy in action. Again, I think it was a mistake, but 2016 was the year that many in the left reached their breaking point with this strategy and the more abuse the Hillary campaign heaped on them, (like Gloria Fucking Steinem calling independent thinking politically active young women supporting Sanders a bunch of ignorant sluts chasing dick) the more the busters became adamant that they weren't going to be cornered into voting for Hillary.
The reason I've abandoned any support for Hillary now that the election's over, and the reason I think it's important to trash the Clinton wing of the party is they are LOSERS. The Republicans saw how Trump beat Clinton's massive money advantage and next time they'll have someone smooth use the same strategy. If Clintonites are still in charge in 2018, Trump may not even lose his majority in congress, and if it's Cory Booker or Kirsten Gillibrand in 2020 (God help us if it's her, they're busy grooming Chelsea Clinton to take over her Senate seat) Trump is going to be a two-term president.