Clinton will attempt to substitute enthusiasm for Barack Obama with fear and loathing of Trump as a way to boost turnout among millennials and minorities, painting the Republican as an extremist.
But consider the results of an Esquire-NBC News survey of the “new American center.” Voters in this large group aren’t particularly socially conservative and aren’t against principled champions of limited government either. They do lean right on some issues, however:
“The people of the center are patriotic and proud, with a strong majority (66 percent) saying that America is still the greatest country in the world, and most (54 percent) calling it a model that other countries should emulate,” writes Tony Dokoupil. “But the center is also very nervous about the future, overwhelmingly saying that America can no longer afford to spend money on foreign aid (81 percent) when we need to build up our own country.”
These voters are afraid of another terrorist attack and feel the country’s political system is broken. Fifty-seven percent oppose affirmative action in hiring, 63 percent think protection of minority rights comes at the expense of the minority and they are less likely to support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants than Republicans have been in the exit polls after most recent primaries.
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