US 2016: How Bernie Sanders Is Taking On Hillary Clinton

The liberal candidate among the Democrats is ahead in polls from New Hampshire and Iowa, the states where the first two primaries will take place.

Is a panic attack due yet for Hillary Clinton? It is too early for complete despair, but one thing is certain: The number-one favorite has to change strategy if she does not want her electoral campaign to run the risk of failure.

Down in the Polls

It is true that the first dates of the primaries are a good six months away (an eternity in politics), and it is also true that nobody can see a true alternative to the former first lady (at least for now). But these polls are just as real, indicating that Bernie Sanders is winning by a good 8 points in New Hampshire and also by 1 point in Iowa, the first state to vote in February.

They are worrying signs. The super-liberal Sanders doesn’t seem likely to be the Obama of 2016, but the loss of approval for Hillary must be really sounding alarm bells. All American political analysts have thrown themselves into descriptions of possible future scenarios. If she loses in both states, will Clinton be asked to take a step back? If Sanders wins, would it not be better for Joe Biden to enter the game?

The vice president is seriously considering it. He is waiting to see how the first two rounds of voting go, and then he will decide what to do. If Clinton is to crumble in Iowa and New Hampshire, Biden may begin his electoral adventure from Florida. Alongside him could be Elizabeth Warren, the liberal senator whom the foundations of the Democratic Party like so much.

Biden in the Game?

This is a couple with good chances of success. Biden would present himself as Obama’s successor. Warren would cover him on the left. For Clinton, facing such prepared adversaries would be a huge problem. But why does the former secretary of state, who seemed on a path to certain victory, now appear to be in trouble?

There are many reasons. The first is that, like Europeans, Americans have become tired of “career politicians.” This explains Donald Trump’s success. Clinton has been in the control room for over 20 years (first lady, senator, secretary of state), and despite being the most experienced among the candidates to become Barack Obama’s successor, her image is associated with a political and economic power that many Americans mistrust or reject outright.

The Email Scandal

The email scandal has certainly not helped her. Her stalling for time after delivering messages sent from her private server despite a law obliging her to use her office one, and her late excuses for not having followed the rules of the game like everybody else have cost her dearly. Confidence in her has slipped toward the bottom, along with approval. It’s nothing irreparable, but it is clear that there are few who believe in Clinton’s good faith.

Her election campaign started off subdued, with some mistakes: She styled herself as a middle-class woman, while instead, everyone sees her as an aristocrat. She did not propose her own plans for America but contented herself (for now) with assuring continuity with the Obama administration. She is not one capable of warming hearts. A campaign based on such pillars is only short-term, and it is indeed starting to run out of stamina.

However, there is no need for panic — at least not yet. There is plenty of time to correct the mistakes. Will she? Clinton’s (media) firepower is not exhausted yet. The commercials in Iowa and New Hampshire have yet to even go out. The former first lady is banking on these putting her electoral campaign back on track. In doing so, however, she must not make another mistake — that of underestimating the alarm bells set off by the polls.