It goes without saying that Donald Trump is unpopular among many liberals and conservatives alike, Bernie Sanders was first written off as a joke due to his extreme views and alarmingly upfront persona, John Kasich is liked (I guess) by people in Ohio (and barely at that) and literally everyone hates Ted Cruz.
That leaves Hillary Clinton. The politician has faced intense criticism throughout the campaign for being unable to connect with voters and lacking authenticity as a speaker.
This has affected Clinton in the race to win the Democratic nomination. As primary season continues, polling data shows that Sanders has maintained the millennial vote. According to the most recent USA TODAY/Rock the Vote poll, Sanders polls at 54 percent, the highest with voters ages 18 to 34, while Clinton polls at 37 percent.
What has hit home more than anything is that Clinton continues to lose support with young women. In the same USA TODAY/Rock the Vote poll, Sanders’ support among young women is 61 percent to Clinton’s 30 percent.
From posing with popular young female celebrities such as Chloe Grace Moretz, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry and Britney Spears as well as landing endorsements from Planned Parenthood and NARAL, Clinton has attempted to raise her poll numbers with young women. Her most recent plea has been her appearance on the hit Comedy Central show, "Broad City." Clinton made a cameo in the most recent episode, which aired last Wednesday.
"Broad City" is a show about two best friends, Abbi and Ilana, who live in New York City. They’ve fairly recently graduated from college and spend their summer days attempting to succeed in their entry level jobs while also having fun around the city. The show is based on the lives of Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, the stars, writers and creators of the show.
"Broad City" is fantastic. Glazer and Jacobson have become young comedy icons and are the leaders of a new generation of women in comedy.
The adventures of Abbi and Ilana are sometimes too similar to my own. The two explore parts of the city I walk through every day. They film episodes on the subway, run around Prospect Park and yell at men on the street for catcalling them. Watching the show makes me miss my summers in New York.
One of my favorite aspects of both Abbi and Ilana is their shared confidence. They stick up for themselves and each other. Not to mention, neither character is weak or a pushover.
Sound like anyone else you know?
No matter your opinion of Hillary Clinton. She also shares the qualities listed above. Clinton’s appearance on "Broad City" illustrates a new side to the candidate. Regardless of Clinton’s inability to appear as likeable as past presidents, I admire the candidate more when she acknowledges this flaw instead of trying to hide it.
In a recent Democratic debate, Clinton responded to a comment that a lot of the American people don’t find her, “honest and trustworthy” by plainly stating, “I am not a natural politician, in case you haven’t noticed, like my husband or President Obama.”
Clinton’s appearance on "Broad City" similarly communicates this message. She decides to discard her past attempts to directly seek increased popularity and stick with what she naturally has, confidence and strength. Clinton will always naturally be a role model for young women breaking into any previously male-dominated professional field.
Watching Clinton stand next to Abbi and Ilana as they fawn and freak out over her, made me smile. I realized I would probably react the same way. The interaction finally made Clinton seem more relatable because instead of having her conform to millennial trends and attempt to act 25 again, Clinton assumes her position as a wise role model and allows Abbi and Ilana to do the talking.
In a panel at the South by Southwest Music Festival, Jacobson and Glazer stressed that Clinton’s appearance on the show was not an endorsement but more a snapshot of how the two characters of Abbi and Ilana would react to being in the presence of such a strong figure, which in my opinion proved more effective than a direct endorsement.
Jacobson said, “Hillary, even regardless of where we stand—and we love Hillary—is such an iconic figure. These girls being around her is not an everyday thing. That’s how we felt being around her. It was like, ‘Oh, this is a different world.’”