It’s unclear whether a super-wealthy Democratic presidential aspirant can succeed in a populist era defined by a tepid economy, flat wages and the Occupy Wall Street movement. Some Democrats argue these early dust-ups won’t matter unless Clinton gets a primary challenge from the left. But the current criticism over her wealth could influence her decision to run — and if she runs and gets the nomination, Republicans could paint her as out of touch with average Americans, much as Democrats did to Mitt Romney in 2012. There’s also a chance Republicans will wind up nominating a populist, Wall Street-basher of their own, such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
What is clear now is that the status quo for Clinton and the conundrum of what to do about it are quickly giving new meaning to the phrase “Hard Choices.”
Traeger-Muney said Clinton needs to figure out a way to “own” her own wealth and success and not sound defensive about it while continuing her current strategy of pointing to all the work she’s done for the middle class and poor over her long career in public service.
“It would be great for her to explore her own ambivalence around wealth and what it means to have her policy views and be a wealth holder,” Traeger-Muney said. “The moment she’s at peace with that for herself, the need for coaching would diminish.”
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