Onward Together: The Future of Hillary Clinton
An uncertain future in an uncertain time.
By Hunter Engels
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS A CRUSHING BLOW TO NEARLY 66 MILLION PEOPLE across the United States, but it most likely hit no one as hard as it did one person: Hillary Rodham Clinton. The former First Lady, Senator from New York, and Secretary of State had lost to the most unqualified man in American political history.
Many forces caused her downfall, several of which were out of her — or her campaign’s — control. However, the work and leadership which Hillary has championed since her days in Arkansas has not come to a halt since November 8th. In fact, the loss has ignited not only a new wave of activity from masses of people around the world, but brought to light a new side of Hillary Clinton as a loud-spoken firebrand who is capable of leading the resistance against the Trump administration in the next four years and beyond.
The first step in any grieving process is coming to terms with the source of the problem in the first place. It is no different for dissecting the 2016 election loss. Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton, a woman who has given much of her adult life to serving the United States and suffered a staggering blow herself in 2016, has been receiving unusually negative press coverage following the election. While it is common for a losing candidate to be viewed in a negative light for a short duration, this is a unique case of outright scapegoating, with Hillary being pegged as the sole reason for a loss that cannot be pinpointed to one reason — instead, it was simply the perfect storm.
Many on the left would like to explain the loss as a direct result of Hillary’s “baggage” or imperfections as a candidate. However, it is naive to blame the one person who worked for almost 2 years to stop the current situation and sweep aside the many other factors that played their respective roles. Russian hacking, Wikileaks, a well-funded Republican smear campaign, fake news, FBI interference, and droves of former Sanders supporters not voting — or voting third party — all helped to bring down one of the most qualified women in history in an election which Hillary would go on to win by almost 3 million votes.
The biggest issue Hillary will need to combat post-election is her image problem. The 2016 election took Secretary Clinton, who had enjoyed approval ratings in the 70s as Secretary of State, to a politician loathed by most on the right — and hated by former Sanderssupporters on the left. She went from being seen as a progressive political firebrand and champion of gender and racial inequality to an untrustworthy, Wall Street crony. While many of these notions are based in falsehood, Clinton’s ability to turn her image around will determine her political future and her role in the
Democratic Party itself.
The most pressing example of what Hillary Clinton plans to work on in the future is her new PAC called “Onward Together.” The name is reminiscent of her 2016 campaign slogan, “Stronger Together.” The PAC will focus on advancing progressives causes and will lead in the resistance against Trump’s policies by providing various groups and organizations with financial support. The group will help to get people involved in the political process, with Clinton describing it as “an organization dedicated to advancing the progressive vision that earned nearly 66 million votes in the last election. Onward Together will work to build a brighter future for generations to come by supporting groups that encourage people to organize and run for office.” The starting of the PAC is a way for Clinton to funnel the enthusiasm and donor support from her candidacy into causes that she cares deeply about. However, the creation of “Onward Together” has stirred discussion regarding Hillary’s 2020 plans. Many candidates who plan on running for office in the future start PACs which help them raise money for the causes they plan to champion.
There is one thing we can surely expect from Hillary Rodham Clinton moving forward: an outspoken voice against the Trump agenda. We are seeing a new, exciting side of Clinton. After the election she has become the politican many were longing for during the campaign, uninhibited and unafraid to say how she feels. Recently she has been speaking at various events around the country sharing her thoughts on the 2016 election results and the investigations which continue regarding possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Her most fervent criticism of Trump came during her 2017 commencement address at her alma mater, Wellesley College, a full 48 years after her first commencement address in 1969. Clinton will publish a new book, currently untitled, on the 2016 campaign in September of this year, offering additional insight into the woman who remains one of the most prominent political voices in the country today.
"Resist, Insist, Persist, Enlist.” -Hillary Clinton
Is President Hillary Clinton still a possibility? The current field of potential Democratic 2020 presidential candidates lacks a clear frontrunner. The party itself lacks a clear leader apart from Secretary Clinton. After all, Clinton won the Democratic nomination in 2016, and with Obama pretty much out of the picture, she remains the beacon of hope for a Democratic future as many voters scramble for a voice of reason in the aftermath of defeat. While it may seem unlikely that Hillary will chose to run in 2020, it would be foolish for the Democratic Party to write her off as a contender. She won the popular vote by 3 million and speculation resounds about her future plans for the presidency. There is some precedent for former presidents winning on their third try, including Nixon and Reagan. In 2020 Hillary will be 73, Trump will be 74, Sanders and Biden will be 79, and Elizabeth Warren will be 71. Hillary falls right in the lower end of the age bracket for the people who will most likely seek the presidency in 2020.
However, it remains highly unlikely that either Sanders or Biden will seek the nomination, and Warren has said countless times that she will never run for the presidency. This leaves the future of the Democratic Party uncertain as the field clears, leaving many unknown names to fill the ranks. Hillary Clinton offers many things, aside from her vast amount of experience and unparalleled ability. She has the name recognition, the fundraising ability, the base of support across the country and in Washington, and the edge of beating the incumbent president in the popular vote. In the eyes of many former Hillary Clinton voters from 2016, she was cheated out of the presidency and it is only right that she be allowed to take it back from Trump in 2020. So far she has railed against the idea that she would run in 2020, but this is not all too different than her responses in mid-2013 before laying the ground work for her successful primary bid against Bernie Sanders.
So what has Hillary Clinton done to suggest she’s running again? So far she has signed a major book deal and planned book tours across the country, much the same as she did with her book “Hard Choices” before her 2016 bid. Also, as previously mentioned in this article, Secretary Clinton has started her own PAC called “‘Onward Together,” which could provide Clinton with a broad base of donors already tied to her for help with a future run. Several former aids have been outspoken in their convictions that Clinton will seek the presidency in 2020 and the DNC Chair, Tom Perez, has said he will not rule out a Hillary 2020 candidacy. She also has distanced herself from the Clinton Foundation, which caused her trouble in the 2016 election. She has established herself as the sole voice and leadership against the Trump administration, making her a likely contender for the 2020 nomination. So as we slowly trudge toward the 2020 primary season, only time will tell the true intentions of Hillary Clinton. For many, she is a valued voice in this dark political time, and would be a welcomed 2020 candidate.
Is the groundwork for Hillary 2020 being laid? Should Clinton quit speaking out? Should she retire? The resounding answer to the latter questions is no. Many in the Democratic base feel comforted by the fact that the candidate they worked so hard to elect isn’t running away from the problems facing America today. So whatever happens in the next four years, we can all rest assured that we have not heard the last of Hillary Rodham Clinton. In fact, the most pivotal moments of her career just might be ahead of her.
