Today's Hillary News & Views begins with an article about the Hillary Coalition: the demographic groups that supported Clinton in 2008, along with those she's picked up for the current election.
Medium reports:
Even before the term “Obama Coalition” entered the political lexicon, both Hillary and then-Sen. Obama assembled impressive electoral coalitions that held throughout the 2008 primary campaign. Hillary performed strongest among women, union households, Latinos, LGBTQ and AAPI voters — groups that contributed heavily to the 18 million votes she earned in that election. These groups weren’t voting against then-Sen. Obama (they supported him heavily in two general elections). They were voting for Hillary. Similarly, groups comprising President Obama’s winning primary election coalition — namely young voters, African Americans and white progressives — weren’t voting against Hillary; they were voting for then-Sen. Obama.
There is zero evidence to suggest that Hillary primary voters rejected then-Sen. Obama in the 2008 or 2012 general elections. So after Hillary served as the president’s secretary of state, and as she is on the campaign trail touting President Obama’s achievements and their joint work, there’s even less reason to think that President Obama’s strongest supporters would reject Hillary in 2016. Logic, data, and conversations on the ground say just the opposite. Just look at her whopping 70-point leads among African American voters in South Carolina primary polls.
While her initial polling numbers were inflated, her floor was rock-solid, particularly because of her strong support across racial lines. If she wins the Democratic primary, it will be because she has assembled the most diverse coalition of voters in memory. The crosstabs demonstrate that relationships and relatability with communities of color are not built overnight. Coalition-building is not Hillary’s challenge. It’s her forte.
I should also add this: Hillary walks the walk. Her campaign staff is three times more diverse than that of her two Democratic rivals, according to the experts at INCLUSV, a diversity hiring initiative. 32 percent of her campaign is comprised of people of color, according to the report, while her opponents’ campaigns are 90 percent white. The LGBTQ community, not surprisingly, is also represented in force in Brooklyn and in early states. Hillary’s diverse campaign staff is preparing to capture a diverse coalition of voters throughout the country.
Clinton is calling on voters to reject the fear-mongering of the GOP, and reaffirming her opposition to ground troops in Syria.
CNN reports:
"I don't think it is smart for us to act like we are waging war on every Muslim in the world," Clinton said. "That is not smart."
"These terrorists are killers, they are thugs, they are criminals, they need to be treated like that, not elevated as though they are representing a religion because even if though they claim to, they are not," she said, speaking at E.L. Pine Middle School in Reno.
"We must end their murderous reign and prevent them from not only continuing to wreak havoc, terror and violence in the area where they are operating, but export it," she said.
The former secretary of state, however, definitively said she would not, as president, commit ground troops to fight the terrorist organization.
"The United States has to lead the effort but we will not be putting American combat troops in Syria and Iraq to accomplish the mission," Clinton said.
"This is a job we have to take on and we have to be smart about it and we have to be vigilant about it," Clinton said. "I will take a back seat to no one in protecting the United States of America."
Clinton did a Facebook chat with Telemundo.
Here are her thoughts from that chat on Donald Trump:
"I have just one word for Mr. Trump: Basta. Enough is enough. He’s been trafficking in prejudice and paranoia and it’s bad for our politics and bad for our country. Now he’s saying maybe it’s ok for peaceful protestors to get “roughed up.” Violence is never, ever acceptable. And, let’s not forget, if you look at their policies, most of the other Republican candidates are just Trump without the pizazz or the hair. They don’t support a real path to citizenship. And you’re right: When they talk about “legal status,” that’s code for “second class status.” That’s why it’s so important to organize, volunteer, vote, and win this election. That’s the only way we’re going to get the comprehensive immigration reform we need. -H"
On wage equality:
"The increase in wages is the economic challenge that defines our times and is a crucial factor of my economic strategy. We need to do more to help families to get ahead and stay ahead. We need to increase the minimum wage in order to ensure that any person who work full time I have to live in poverty. To ensure fairness in the payment to women. Create better paid jobs with investments in infrastructure and clean energy. And give them to the families a tax relief instead of a tax increase. I have proposed tax cuts to help families to afford university studies, the medical care and care for elderly relatives. We can make things better, especially for our families Latino workers who give it their all to be able to get ahead.
“It’s appalling that Latinas make so much less on average for every dollar a white man makes. When you short-change women, you short-change families - and short-change America. There are a number of reasons behind this significant wage gap, including discrimination. As president, I will work to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act that would allow workers to talk about their salaries openly without fear of retribution. I’d also fight to raise the minimum wage and ensure that women have access to high-quality, affordable childcare. The tens of thousands of dollars Latinas lose out on each year due to this disparity hurts our families and our economy. -H"
On Immigration Reform:
“We need comprehensive immigration reform with a path to full and equal citizenship, and as president, I’ll work with Democrats, Republicans, and anyone who is willing to put principle over politics and get this done. You have to know how to stand your ground and how to find common ground. And if Congress refuses to act, I will.
“I’ve been fighting for these issues a long time: As senator, I co-sponsored the DREAM Act. One of the first things I did in this campaign was to sit down with DREAMers in Las Vegas and commit to fight for comprehensive immigration reform and defend the President’s executive actions. And I would go even further. I’ll fight for people with deep ties to communities, like many parents of DREAMers, who deserve to stay in America. I’ll fight for a path to citizenship for hardworking immigrant families - anything else is code for second-class status, and that is unacceptable in the United States of America.”
Clinton’s focus on rural schools is another product of her listening to her constituents.
The Huffington Post reports:
Three high school students in a small Iowa town launched a successful social media campaign to persuade Hillary Clinton to visit their school, which they hope will spark a national conversation about the challenges rural schools face.
Schulte and Adam, along with junior Kylea Tinneas, launched a Twitter account and corresponding hashtag in September called Keota Hopes For Hillary. They first encouraged their classmates to follow the account and use the hashtag, and then were able to connect with two campaign operatives with Hillary for Iowa.
The group is expecting Clinton to visit the school next month, and hope she will address topics that affect rural communities like Keota.
The students say their hours of work will pay off when Clinton arrives for a town hall-style event in their small community.
“I think it really demonstrates the democratic process,” Schulte said. “Such a huge political figure is coming to a school where there are only 80 kids in the high school to talk about her plans for improving society, answer our questions about the issues important to us.”
Yet another union has endorsed Clinton for president.
Here’s the full text of her endorsement from the Laborers’ International Union of North America:
LIUNA is proud to endorse Secretary Clinton for President of the United States. The strong, proud and united members of LIUNA will be on the frontlines of the 2016 elections; on the streets, knocking on doors, making calls and encouraging family, friends, and neighbors to elect Hillary Clinton as the 45th President of the United States.
LIUNA members and leadership believe that Secretary Clinton is the right leader to move our country forward and the most qualified candidate to address the many challenges facing the United States.
LIUNA members are deeply concerned about the direction of our country and are looking for a real leader who will create good jobs, rebuild our country, and grow our economy. Secretary Clinton’s record proves that she is a tough and tested fighter for our nation and for working men and women.
LIUNA is eager to work with Secretary Clinton, as the next President of the United States, to help enact legislation and promote policies that provide long-term investment in America’s roads and bridges, and encourage a real all-of-the-above approach to energy development. We also look forward to working with Secretary Clinton on repeal of the so-called Cadillac tax, fair postal reform, and policies that protect pensions and support public employees.
Clinton’s campaign stops in Colorado focused on wage equality and climate change, and she reiterated her support for Syrian refugees.
Daily Camera reports:
Clinton's speech touched on her plans for paid family leave, a caregiver tax credit for people taking care of sick family members, universal pre-kindergarten education, free community college and other higher education affordability measures, bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment and addressing climate change.
Clinton vowed to see 500 million solar panels installed before the end of her first term, calling climate change a "consequential, existential" challenge.
She spoke at length about her plans for addressing gun violence and her strategy for tackling ISIS and other terrorist groups abroad. In response to recent Republican opposition to admitting and resettling Syrian refugees, Clinton said America should continue to be "open and welcoming" at the end of a vetting process.
"I have heard all this loose, inflammatory talk about refugees and I don't think that does us any good at all in waging and winning the fight against these criminals and killers who misuse religion and promote a different set of values than the ones that we believe in," she said.
Content Note: This series will take a brief hiatus for the Thanksgiving holiday, and will return on Monday, November 30. Happy Thanksgiving!
Crossposted at HillaryHQ, an independent, progressive blog committed to the electing Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States.