During the first Democratic debate after the New Hampshire Primary on Thursday night, it became clear that Hillary Clinton is taking a new approach. Nine months ago she was the projected front-runner for the Democratic bid, however due to the popularity of progressive and anti-establishment Bernie Sanders, Clinton is faced with a much more competitive race than initially anticipated. Clinton barely won against Sanders in Iowa the other week, and Sanders won by a larger margin in New Hampshire. For the entirety of her campaign so far, Clinton has struggled to gain the support of younger voters. Sander's political base appeals to the demographic because of his vehement promises to tackle the student loan crisis among other things.
This is all well and good, but it is also a fact that historically younger voters don't show up on election day. As someone who is a part of that age group, I am interested to see if the situation changes in this particular election. Sander's campaign has enabled and encouraged political involvement among a specific demographic, which is already a large accomplishment within itself. Currently, 83 percent of voters ages 18-29 support him, while Clinton holds the remaining amount.
Going back to Thursday night's debate, it quickly became evident Clinton was not going to blatantly disagree with Sander's arguments and promises. She established that she harbors a similar stance to Sanders in terms of progressive beliefs. Furthermore, instead of taking her talking points in a completely different direction, she opted to let Sanders convey his and then called him out on his competence and ability to follow through on his promises. Perhaps one of the most important sentiments Clinton expressed over the course of the night was at the debate's end, emphasizing, "I am not a single issue candidate, and I do not believe in a single issue country."
One of the most frustrating aspects of this presidential race so far is the bashing of Hillary Clinton. Many forget that she has carved out a long and successful political career and is experienced in many ways Sanders is not. Sanders is obviously a very qualified and appealing candidate, but I fear he is leading a campaign of illusion to some extent. His stance on issues such as the preserving the environment, economic improvements and the desire to increase the standard of living are undoubtedly important and agreeable. But I am afraid that he may find himself unable to follow through on many of these promises. Clinton is not a perfect politician, and her email scandal and ties to Wall Street have hindered the level of trust voters have in her. However people tend to forget that the platforms of Clinton and Sanders are not all that different.
Thursday's debate didn't significantly alter the course of the Democratic race, and Clinton definitely sought out a new approach. However the entire dynamic of the race isn't likely to hugely change, so it is interesting to see who ends up winning the nomination.
