Hillary Clinton has a Millennial problem.
This is not news. Clinton's best efforts to appeal to the strange, unknowable ways of youth culture have had no effect. Even recent endorsements from Demi Lovato and Lena Dunham still haven't managed to sway anyone. Instead, Millennials are flocking to Bernie Sanders in droves. Again, this shouldn't be news to anyone.
This also shouldn't be surprising.
There are several reasons why this is happening. The first one is the candidate herself. Hillary has long-struggled with a likability problem in this campaign, just as she did in her 2008 presidential bid, but none so much as with young voters.
Again, totally not shocking; Clinton seems to be constantly surrounded by scandal. Young feminists aren't on board with the resurfacing rumors of Hillary covering up her husband's sexual misconduct and pinning the blame on the women, when she's painted herself as the woman's champion. It's hard not to be wary of her after the summer's email scandal, and the fact that she's being investigated by the FBI isn't lost on anyone. Not to mention Benghazi.
OK, sure, but would that really be enough to drive this many young voters away? Well, no, but that's not the whole story. The main thing turning Millennial voters off from the Hillary Clinton is the sheer amount of secondhand embarrassment we get every time she tries to, uh, interact with us.
As Seth Meyers put it, “When Hillary tries to be cool, it does not work.” She's been seen hitting the dab on the Ellen DeGeneres show. She's been tweeting GIFs and asking Twitter followers to describe our student loan debt in "three emojis or less." She's been saying she's “just like your abuela.” Selling T-shirts that say “Yaaaas Hillary” on her campaign website (yes, really). Constantly blowing up my email and insisting on calling me "friend."
These awkward, gimmick-y attempts at pandering are embarrassing for everyone. This type of campaigning isn't reaching young voters because it doesn't understand young voters. Which, in turn, leads Millennials to believe Clinton doesn't understand them.
But there is another reason this is happening. Bernie Sanders, the preferred candidate of the average Millennial, has entered what Seth Meyers calls “The Betty White Zone.” The Betty White Zone “is reserved for the elderly who are so cool, they actually make young people believe it will actually be fun to get older.” Much like my grandpa, Bernie Sanders' charm comes from the fact that he's a cranky, stubborn old man who says exactly what he thinks and is incapable of being anything but himself. There's nothing more to it.
And we have plenty of reasons to be Feeling the Bern: free college, universal health care, economic reform. A future to believe in. While Hillary accepts personal speaking fees from Goldman-Sachs, Bernie Sanders flies coach. He does his own laundry. Participating in his campaign feels like being a part of something.
Not so with Clinton's campaign. Her base is less enthusiastic in their support, but no less dedicated. But it lacks the excitement surrounding the Sanders campaign. It lacks Killer Mike, a rapper who has endorsed Sanders and is actively campaigning for the senator, making Bernie seem cool as hell. Along with Killer Mike. Bernie has also received endorsements from other rappers such as Bub B, Lil B and Big Boi, all of which are "unequivocally looked at as political voices and thought leaders in their local communities."
Simple. Authenticity. Sanders appeals to the Millennial voter because he truly believes in what he stands for. Young voters get the feeling the Bernie Sanders cares about them and their problems; a Quinnipiac University poll shows 96-1 believe this of Sanders, compared to 76-21 for Clinton.
Perhaps the best example of this is the event in which Demi Lovato announced her endorsement of Clinton in Iowa. People waited in line for hours, but when Clinton finally appeared on stage, she spoke only five minutes. And that was it. Demi gave a special performance, which is the only reason I would be there if I'm being totally honest. But still, the crowd was left feeling shorted, some even saying Clinton hadn't done much to convince them to vote for her.
Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders sat down with Killer Mike for a six-part YouTube series discussing topics "ranging from gun control to Democratic Socialism." The six-hour long special speaks to a main theme in Bernie's campaign: he sat down with a supporter and listened.
Funny how that works.
