Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders’ resounding wins in New Hampshire drive the lesson home: American voters are fed up with conventional politicians and desperate for something new.
Trump’s now the clear GOP front-runner, while Sanders has become a serious threat to beat Hillary Clinton.
Part of that is Clinton’s weakness: Even Democrats don’t trust her. A third of those voting in the party primary Tuesday said honesty was a key issue — and those voters broke for Bernie by 18 to 1.
Whether it’s the email mess, the Clinton Foundation scandals or her Goldman Sachs speeches — or all of it and more (so much more) — Democrats are refusing to let Hillary walk away with the nomination.
Even women — who Clinton thought were automatically “hers” — went overwhelmingly for Sanders.
She’s the candidate Democrats know best — and they clearly don’t like what they see.
Yes, the party’s also taken a hard-left turn: Sanders’ socialist, soak-the-rich rhetoric has become the Democratic mainstream. Never mind that his proposals are unworkable or unaffordable — or both.
Clinton’s running as President Obama’s heir, but the Democratic base plainly thinks Obama didn’t aim high enough.
Meanwhile, GOP voters are furious with their elected officials. Indeed, Trump is galvanizing the angry anti-establishment movement first seen in the Tea Party — and he’s doing it without a traditional ideology, or even many policy specifics.
Trump’s populism, free-wheeling rhetoric and unmasked disdain for his rivals have won him a huge following — which keeps growing, in utter defiance of conventional political wisdom.
There’s more chaos ahead, as voters realize how crazy the parties’ rules are.
The Democratic establishment is ensuring that Hillary will get as many delegates out of New Hampshire as Bernie, despite his landslide win. The GOP has given Texas the right to switch to a winner-take-all primary at the last minute.
In short, the leaders of both parties are giving voters even more reason to revolt.