Hillary Clinton is running headlong into the same anti-establishment malaise that has plagued Jeb Bush for the last seven months -- only Democrat-style. And her Florida friend, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is suffering right along with her.
Back in the January 2015 reality of American politics, who would have given a celebrity billionaire who eviscerates anyone who gets in his way, and a self-described socialist calling for a "political revolution" a Chinaman's chance of winning the White House?
But here we are a year later -- Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders getting ready to take Iowa.
We've had a long time to look at the Republican phenomenon of Trump, born of a bitter disenchantment with the status quo. But Sanders' ascent has been like a kettle on a slow boil. The more Clinton focused on her credentials as a former secretary of state, first lady and U.S. senator, the more out of step with the nation’s mood she grew. As it happens, Democrats don't want continuity any more than Republicans do.
“I feel like Hillary is your typical politician and I feel like Bernie isn’t, which is why I’m interested in him,” Katie Ruedas, 25, a stay-at-home mom from Fort Dodge, Iowa, told the Wall Street Journal.
As an example of a bad Clinton campaign strategy, the WSJ points to a new ad she's released showing images of her leaving government airplanes, speaking at lecterns and reading paperwork. Reminders of the status quo. Just what's turning Americans off now. "It is a vivid contrast to a new Sanders ad that, using the Simon and Garfunkel song 'America,' shows images of everyday people and droves of supporters cheering at Sanders rallies. There is no narrator, no mention of policy and no reference to Sanders’ credentials."
Now political observers are pointing to tonight's hastily cobbled-together Democratic town hall debate on CNN as "surefire proof of panic in the Hillary Clinton camp."
The Jan. 18 debate was supposed to be the last time Clinton, Sanders and Martin O’Malley debated before next week’s Iowa caucuses. "But Hillary lost that one, big-time," said an editorial in the Sunday New York Post, "so the poobahs gave her a do-over."
Wasserman Schultz's attempt to sabotage candidates other than Clinton by giving them as little face time with Democratic voters as possible has backfired spectacularly. Sanders is on a roll. He's a threat to leave Clinton in the dust in Iowa and he's coming around the mountain in New Hampshire -- and polls show he's even closing the gap nationally.
It was Wasserman Schultz, remember -- the Democratic National Committee chair and longtime Hillary Clinton supporter -- who scheduled the first four debates on nights they had the least chance of attracting an audience.
So, tonight's debate in Des Moines is the do-over. This time it's meant as another chance for Clinton to shine. A risky, desperation move, the Post is calling it. Risky for DWS because she's blatantly changing the campaign terrain to help Clinton again, meaning she's in for more flak from an increasingly critical party base. Risky for Clinton because she's going to face questions from the audience "about her ever-deepening e-mail mess — and her lifelong enabling of Bill, as well as her happy relations with Goldman Sachs."
For Clinton, actually, there are all kinds of ways she could fall on her face in this debate, too.
The Post concludes by asking, "If she does, will Debbie try to give her another do-over?"
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith.
