Poli-ticks

Brexit bodes badly for Hilary Clinton

By Arlene Violet
Posted 7/21/16

Besides wreaking havoc on international markets, the BREXIT vote bodes badly for Hillary Clinton. There is a parallel between the Britons vote to exit the European Union and the current political …

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Poli-ticks

Brexit bodes badly for Hilary Clinton

Posted

Besides wreaking havoc on international markets, the BREXIT vote bodes badly for Hillary Clinton. There is a parallel between the Britons vote to exit the European Union and the current political message of presumptive Republican candidate, Donald Trump. As he noted following the vote, "People want to take their country back and they want to have independence in a sense." It is precisely his message that citizens don’t want people pouring into the country that they don’t know who they are and where they come from which is resonating with American voters. It really doesn’t matter that his proposals are unrealistic. Mr. Trump has clearly commandeered the central message of this election.

Interestingly, all the bookmakers who usually are right about outcomes in England had the exit vote being defeated. They are the twins to today’s pollsters. Ms. Clinton may be ahead in the polls but there is a strong coterie of angry people out there who aren’t reflected in those numbers who are going to vote for Mr. Trump. This sleeper group of voters buys the Trump central message. Donald Trump has gotten better at honing that message. In a statement he noted that in November U.S. citizens are going to re-declare their independence in trade, foreign policy and immigration. sIf he sticks with this message, again, no matter how unrealistic his proposals are, he will be the next President of the United States.

In punctuating his underlying theme of America First, he alluded to the “Global Elite" who were so wrong about the English vote. His talking point about Hillary Clinton being part of the “Elite” in this country is resonating among people who are fed up with the rich getting richer while their standard of living stagnates. Voters are just not buying that he also has been part of the elite for years.

Donald Trump will continue to pound home the message that the United States should not be allowing people in who could care less about democracy. He certainly exaggerates the faults of the country’s immigration policies but the fact is that many Americans feel exactly the same way as their compatriots across the pond in England.

In many ways the election is Donald Trump’s to lose. He is bulletproof notwithstanding a veritable mountain of mistakes that would topple other politicians. He survives because he is plugged into the disgust of Americans. Ironically, instead of their taking it out on the top 1 percent, whose minions in Congress do their bidding, Trump has diverted their anger, making powerless immigrants their scapegoat.

If terrorist attacks continue unabated Mr. Trump’s candidacy will benefit. Fears coupled with anger are the two most potent forces in driving people to the polls. Right now he is capitalizing on both emotions. Just like there was a huge turnout in England, this election will set a record numbers of voters.

Hillary Clinton continues to preach to her choir. She has yet to hone a message that addresses the concerns of the common man and woman on precisely these issues. Failure to do so will be her election downfall. It matters not a wit whether England’s withdrawal is bad ultimately for Europe. That issue is remote from the minds of the English just as the ”policies” embraced by Clinton don’t matter to regular folks.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.

Arlene Violet

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