She can win if ‘centered’
HILLARY CLINTON is officially in — and she needs the middle. In the midst of slipping poll numbers in key battleground states and a flurry of scandals, Hillary Clinton formally declares that she’s running for President Sunday.
Clinton isn’t holding a rally or delivering a big speech like the two GOP contenders who have already entered the fray. Instead, she will rely on social media, beginning with a tweet followed by video and email messages.
To many this will look like more of the same from the former secretary of state: hiding from voters and from critics.
Indeed, recent polling from Iowa and Colorado shows that Clinton is losing ground. Rand Paul now leads her 44%-41% in Colorado. In Iowa, Clinton is now in close contention with Paul, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Ted Cruz.
The general election was always going to be tight. Talk of an easy ascension to the White House for Clinton was misguided at best and downright wrong at worst.
The key to turning these close matchups in Clinton’s favor is for her to win over moderates and independents — a group that made up close to 40% of voters in 2014. They’re up for grabs if she can project the right message.
Clinton must appeal to centrists without losing the Elizabeth Warren-helmed liberal base, and also champion Obama’s successes while distancing herself from his more grievous missteps. To do so, she should focus on a few core issues:
As a nod to the progressive left, Clinton should ferociously champion raising the minimum wage and reining in the banks. These are crucial planks of Warren’s agenda and are widely popular with moderates and independents, too.
She should address income inequality by articulating an inclusive, pro-growth agenda. Economists say time and time again that the real issue isn’t inequality but the opportunity gap. By championing strategies including job creation, workforce expansion and more competitive wages, Clinton will reassure progressives without estranging business owners.
To show that her administration would not just be a third Obama term, Clinton should support reforms to the Affordable Care Act. Even progressives admit that Obamacare is far from perfect, and Clinton can focus on tort reform or opening interstate insurance markets to begin insuring coverage for even more Americans.
Finally, Clinton should champion immigration reform that both secures Americas borders and creates a pathway to citizenship. Douglas Schoen is a pollster and political analyst.