# When and how will Clinton go negative against Sanders **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 20, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320 "2015-08-20T04:22:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/1 "2015-08-20T04:22:10Z")
Presidential candidates from the Clinton family fight dirty when running for president. They smear their opponents thoroughly and often. Bill did it during his presidential runs. Hillary did it during the 2008 Presidential primary. Thus far, Hillary’s campaign hasn’t launched any notable smears or attacks against her rivals in the Democratic primary race. Then again, she hasn’t had much need to. Until a few months ago, the polls showed her 60 to 70 points ahead of any other candidate. With a margin like that, she could afford to be polite. Over the summer, Bernie Sanders has been closing the gap remarkably fast. The latest polls show him just 18 points behind Hillary nationwide, and ahead in New Hampshire. I assume the Clinton attack machine is being prepared for action. I wonder what sort of attacks they’ll use. Back in 2008 they [leaked photos](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-518585/Obama-turban-Barack-accuses-Hillary-smear-campaign-circulating-photos-dressed-Muslim.html) of Obama wearing a turban. Photos of Bernie Sanders in a turban might be difficult to find. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/2 "2015-08-20T04:49:06Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Presidential candidates from the Clinton family fight dirty when running for president. They smear their opponents thoroughly and often. Bill did it during his presidential runs. Hillary did it during the 2008 Presidential primary. We need some examples to get an idea of the nature of your characterizations. I know what a smear is. That’s what the Republicans did to the war hero Kerry in 2004 and what was launched at McCain during the 2000 South Carolina primary. See? Those examples were just off the top of my head. Cite! From wikipedia: " An unidentified party began a semi-underground smear campaign against McCain, delivered by push polls, faxes, e-mails, flyers, audience plants, and the like.[14][54] These claimed most famously that he had fathered a black child out of wedlock (the McCains’ dark-skinned daughter Bridget was adopted from Bangladesh; this misrepresentation was thought to be an especially effective slur in a Deep South state where race was still central[49]), but also that his wife Cindy was a drug addict, that he was a homosexual, and that he was a “Manchurian Candidate” traitor or mentally unstable from his North Vietnam POW days.[14][48] " > **[John McCain 2000 presidential campaign](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain_presidential_campaign,_2000)** > > The 2000 presidential campaign of John McCain, the United States Senator from Arizona, began in September 1999. He announced his run for the Republican Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 2000 presidential election. > McCain was the main challenger to Texas Governor George W. Bush, who had the political and financial support of most of the party establishment. McCain staged an upset win in the February 2000 New Hampshire primary, capitalizing on a message of political ... More! “The Bush campaign strongly denied any involvement with these attacks;[48] Bush said he would fire anyone who ran defamatory push polls.[55] During a break in a debate, Bush put his hand on McCain’s arm and reiterated that he had no involvement in the attacks; McCain replied, “Don’t give me that shit. And take your hands off me.”[47]” ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/3 "2015-08-20T04:56:45Z")
Shoulda said we need more examples: you did provide the Turban pic that was published at the Drudge Report in 2008. But that’s hardly thoroughly and often. It’s not even especially credible in my view. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/4 "2015-08-20T05:24:07Z")
Never. She doesn’t have to. She is trying to win the Democratic nomination, which is controlled by party activists. And they are more concerned with having a Democrat in the White House than which Democrat it is. If Hillary shows she can win, they will go for her. And she will hurt herself if she goes negative. All those Bernie supporters will vote for whatever Democrat is on the ballot in November, 2016 over any of the Republicans currently in the clown car. So she will do nothing to make them unhappy enough to stay home on election day. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/5 "2015-08-20T07:01:17Z")
She can’t go negative. Sanders never does. It would be the nail in her coffin if she did. That being said, she faced the same problem in 2008. So there will be some sly stuff that can’t be firmly pinned on her, and her supporters are always willing to believe her denials. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/6 "2015-08-20T07:17:00Z")
By “supporter” do you mean someone who would vote for her rather than any of the meth-addled baboons the Republican Party is offering? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/7 "2015-08-20T09:06:24Z")
I mean someone who would vote for her even when there’s a better alternative within the party. Lots of Hillary dead-enders in 2008, I’m sure they’ll show up again in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/8 "2015-08-20T13:34:21Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > She can’t go negative. Sanders never does. There’s possibly a \*strategic \*reason he doesn’t and won’t, isn’t there? What might that be? If only his fan club didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/9 "2015-08-20T13:56:44Z")
New Hampshire. She’ll edge Bernie out on the vote but it will be no where near the wide margin showing in the polls at that point. You’ll hear the whispering campaign begin then. Her campaign is busy looking for dirt right now. Her first likely attack will be related to Middle East politics, she’s going to accuse him of being anti-Israel to try and split the Jewish vote. I’m sure she’s looking for a weakness on women’s issues also. Publicly she’ll be prodding him to try and get him to go after her so she can play the victim card. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/10 "2015-08-20T13:57:48Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > There’s possibly a \*strategic \*reason he doesn’t and won’t, isn’t there? What might that be? The biggest reason is that he has something she doesn’t, class. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/11 "2015-08-20T14:23:26Z")
If that’s the case, might you consider following his example? Or might you not? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/12 "2015-08-20T14:28:21Z")
Me? No way I’d ever display any class even if I had any. I guess I have something in common with you and Hillary after all. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/13 "2015-08-20T14:39:08Z")
I’ll second **t-bonham** : Never. She won’t need to, and besides, she will need Sanders supporters to vote for her and even volunteer for her campaign in the fall. Even the possibility of losing Iowa and/or NH won’t cause her to go negative. Because the Dems in those two states match up so well with Bernie’s base of college-educated white liberals, Hillary is the rare candidate who could lose both of those two states and still win the nomination without breaking a sweat. > [@TriPolar](#): > > The biggest reason is that he has something she doesn’t, class. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/14 "2015-08-20T15:32:19Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If only his fan club didn’t. Both fan clubs will go negative, we may be sure, and leave the candidates’ own hands clean. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/15 "2015-08-20T15:39:32Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Both fan clubs will go negative, we may be sure Except only one’s has so far. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/16 "2015-08-20T15:48:36Z")
She won’t go negative against Sanders for the same reason that she didn’t go negative against Obama. You might be thinking of the attacks mounted by PUMA, but PUMA was a Republican group, not Clinton or her supporters. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/17 "2015-08-20T15:58:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > She won’t go negative against Sanders for the same reason that she didn’t go negative against Obama. You might be thinking of the attacks mounted by PUMA, but PUMA was a Republican group, not Clinton or her supporters. She didn’t go negative against Obama? What was the phone rings at 3AM thing all about. That one is verifiable. She has no positives, going negative is the only strategy she has available. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/18 "2015-08-20T17:02:22Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > She has no positives, going negative is the only strategy she has available. No, the other strategy she has available is winning every primary (save maybe NH and Vermont). Which she will do, IMO. Even if she loses NH _and_ Iowa, I’m not sure she needs to go negative since much of her strength (and Bernie’s weakness) is in AA voters, which NH and Iowa have small percentages of. I kind of like Sanders, and kind of dislike Clinton, but claiming that her changes at winning the nomination are somehow so poor that she has no choice but to go negative is pretty unsupportable right now. She still has a very comfortable lead. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/19 "2015-08-20T17:12:15Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > No, the other strategy she has available is winning every primary (save maybe NH and Vermont). Which she will do, IMO. > > Even if she loses NH _and_ Iowa, I’m not sure she needs to go negative since much of her strength (and Bernie’s weakness) is in AA voters, which NH and Iowa have small percentages of. > > I kind of like Sanders, and kind of dislike Clinton, but claiming that her changes at winning the nomination are somehow so poor that she has no choice but to go negative is pretty unsupportable right now. She still has a very comfortable lead. Yes, she does have a comfortable lead. That’s why she is the candidate most likely to get the nomination. But the process isn’t happening right now. It happens through the primaries and the convention. If she wins NH by a margin reflected in the polls then it’s all over. But there are months to go, she didn’t win over the press, or anyone else that I can tell. The only reason anyone can give for her winning is that she’s ahead. That’s not much of a platform to stand on. If she wins NH by noticeably less than the margin seen in the nationwide polls she’ll lose. If she loses NH she’ll lose fast. Why do alcoholics like her? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320/20 "2015-08-20T17:18:19Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > She didn’t go negative against Obama? What was the phone rings at 3AM thing all about. That one is verifiable. Wow, you set a much lower bar for what constitutes “going negative” than I do. By your standard, any comparison a candidate made between him/herself and the opponent that was intended to show that the candidate was the better choice would constitute “going negative.” I don’t think that’s what most people mean by the term. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-will-clinton-go-negative-against-sanders/728320.md?page=2)