, ,

Clinton Has Work To Do To Rally More Wisconsin Voters’ Support

Previous Statewide Campaigns Against Obama, Sanders Haven't Been Well Received

By
Hillary Clinton
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton takes the stage Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia for the biggest speech of her political career.

She’s hoping to electrify Democrats, but that goal has so far eluded her in Wisconsin.

Two presidential cycles ago, 2008 was supposed to be Clinton’s year, but her primary campaign never took off in Wisconsin. Her rival President Barack Obama’s did.

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

In 2016, even as Clinton was winning elsewhere, Wisconsin Democrats embraced former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.

Clinton’s supporters at the Democratic National Convention this week offer a few ideas when asked why she hasn’t caught on in Wisconsin. Clinton superdelegate Christine Bremer Muggli of Wausau said 2016 was simply a good year for Sanders in Wisconsin.

“I think it was a year for change,” Bremer Muggli said. “And the people had known Hillary, and they wanted to look at something else. But now they realize that the rest of the country is going with her and the people in Wisconsin are absolutely ready to go with Secretary Clinton.”

Clinton delegate Mary Ginnebaugh of Green Bay said Clinton’s reputation among Democrats was influenced by decades of relentless attacks by Republicans.

“Republicans do not like Hillary Clinton,” Ginnebaugh said. “Don’t know if that’s because she’s a woman. Don’t know if that’s because she’s a Clinton. But they don’t like her, and they spent a lot of money making sure everybody else doesn’t like her either”.

Gretchen Lowe of Madison, also a Clinton delegate, agrees the attacks have taken their toll.

“But she also is hooked in with Bill. Even though I like Bill Clinton as a president, there was a lot of negativity with Bill, especially with NAFTA and that, that is hung around Hillary as well,” Lowe said.

Hillary Clinton no longer has to worry about beating other Democrats, but she’d surely like to unify them.

Liberal writer John Nichols of The Nation magazine said that won’t be easy because the choices of the national Democratic Party don’t always sell in Wisconsin.

“I think some people try to put it all on her. You have to be careful of that. I don’t agree with that. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that she is the face of national Democratic leadership, then national establishment of the party, the people who’ve run it. And that is the sort of candidate that Wisconsin frequently dissents against,” Nichols said.

That’s evident when talking to Sanders delegates in Philadelphia like David Palmer of Racine.

“Hillary Clinton is very associated with the establishment of the Democratic Party and people are in a very anti-establishment mood, and they’re in an anti-establishment mood for a good reason,” Palmer said.

Sanders delegate Dorothy Krause of Fitchburg said Clinton doesn’t get the struggles of most people.

“I think she’s part of that upper strata,” Krause said. “She has kind of lived her life in that upper strata. She really doesn’t see in a real face-to-face way what happens in the streets with people.”

That’s strong criticism. But this is a general election campaign now, and Krause has weighed the alternatives.

“I will vote for her. I don’t know that I’ll be able to build enthusiastic support,” Krause said.

That pragmatic support might be all Clinton needs in a state that’s voted Democratic the last seven presidential elections. But it doesn’t exactly get the base excited, or reflect the historic nature of Clinton’s candidacy.