Clinton’s “Cringeworthy” Campaign Limps Into NYC Debate

Secretary Clinton enters tonight’s all-important New York debate amid a slew of controversies, negative headlines and new problems. Although the specific nature of each firestorm differs, they all share a common thread: they were avoidable and a direct result of mistakes by Clinton and her campaign.

Consider three specific incidents that generated headlines and drove news cycles the last week:

Bill’s Meltdown:

Throughout this campaign, both Clintons have taken great pains to keep up with the leftward lurch of the Democratic Party. Many of the positions they advocated and implemented in the 1990s are no longer popular with an increasingly restless left-wing base that identifies more closely with socialism than centrism.

The challenge of concealing past positions, including support for DOMA, President Obama’s Trans-Pacific trade agreement, and tough immigration laws, has only been exacerbated by the stronger-than-expected challenge from idealist candidate Bernie Sanders.

One particularly thorny issue for the Clinton has been the 1994 crime bill. Repeatedly, Clinton events have been interrupted by protestors unhappy with Bill Clinton for signing the law and Hillary Clinton for lobbying Congress for its passage. In South Carolina, an activist who was upset by Hillary Clinton’s mid-90s characterization of young black men as “superpredators” that must be brought “to heel” interrupted a fundraiser in February in protest.

Last Thursday, the issue reached a boiling point at a Bill Clinton event. Two protestors in Philadelphia held up signs and chanted during the former president’s remarks. Ever eager to defend his own record, he launched into a vigorous defense of the crime bill, which his wife had attempted to repudiate one year earlier:

It was an unforced error of mammoth proportions, and the response from the political left was swift and unsparing. Salon described the interaction as “cringeworthy.” Vox declared, “Bill Clinton just gave criminal justice reformers another reason to be cautious of Hillary.” And Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude, Jr. wrote in TIME that Clinton sounded like a “smug and paternal Southern white boy who simply wants you to hush and swallow his lies whole.”

Subway-Gate:

In attempt to score some cheap points on Bernie Sanders, who told the New York Daily News he thought the subway system still used tokens, Secretary Clinton decided she would ride the subway and show that former Brooklynite how “real” New Yorkers do it.

The plan fell apart when Clinton, clearly not well versed in the MetroCard system, needed five swipes to gain entry:

The video quickly went viral, generating more than a million views in just a few short days. It was yet another unnecessary embarrassment for a campaign that has endured a year’s worth of them. Oh, and it was also a clear violation of New York MTA rules, to boot.

Racist Jokes:

Determined not to let any news cycle go by without a foolish stunt or comment, Clinton attended a dinner in New York Saturday night and participated in a skit that featured a racially charged joke. On stage, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tells Clinton he’s running on “C.P. time,” a comment some believed to mean “colored people time.” Amid gasps from the audience, Clinton replied, “Cautious Politician time — I’ve been there.”

The bone-headed and wholly unnecessary “joke” drew scorn from all corners. New York Magazine called it “amazingly unfunny,” but undeterred, Clinton supporter de Blasio defended it and contended that people just don’t get his hilarious brand of humor. “I think people are missing the point here,” he argued.

If you’re not groaning yet, you will be. Clinton supporters have endured a full year’s worth of groan-worthy, baffling statements and actions. Whether it’s walking back praise for Nancy Reagan or pretending she thought wiping a server meant “with a cloth,” Clinton’s most consistent trait is her knack for gaffes.

This week marked the one year anniversary of Clinton launching her second attempt at the presidency, a milestone marked by her campaign’s digital team with the hashtag #StillWithHer. It’s a fitting choice considering the pain, frustration and at times humiliation her candidacy has put her supporters through. It must be a real badge of honor to “still” be a Clinton supporter.

When Clinton admitted last month that she was “not a natural politician,” she wasn’t joking. The problem for Clinton, and her war weary supporters, is the longer she campaigns, the worse she gets.