Hillary Clinton's $12 million problem: Will focus on her wealth persist?
Hillary Clinton鈥檚 wealth problem isn鈥檛 fading. It began in June when she said she and husband, Bill, were 鈥渄ead broke鈥� when they left the White House 鈥� a comment she later publicly labeled 鈥渋nartful.鈥� It has continued through July as media reports document the Clintons' wealth and Republicans bash the former secretary of State as a closet 1 percenter.
The latest episode in this political soap opera is Monday鈥檚 Bloomberg News report that, since resigning as secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton has earned at least $12 million by giving speeches and selling books.
鈥淗er earnings represent a fraction of the Clinton family鈥檚 total income and yet were large enough to rank her not only in the top 1 percent of the nation鈥檚 earners but in the top one-hundredth of the 1 percent,鈥� write聽.
Republican Party officials have gleefully disseminated this story on social media. They鈥檙e using it as a means to promote their latest anti-Hillary website, .
鈥淗ow out of touch is Hillary? ... We鈥檝e documented it,鈥� on Monday morning.
Will mocking Clinton for her 鈥渉ard knock life鈥� help the GOP in the long run? Maybe 鈥� that鈥檚 the sort of political trend line it鈥檚 impossible to precisely predict. Perhaps Republican strategists hope to simply increase vague negative feelings about Clinton in the months prior to her expected 2016 presidential run.
But there are some problems with the tactic of attacking Clinton for her cash, per se. Presumably Democratic voters are the ones most concerned with the issue of inequality and concentration of US wealth. However, they don鈥檛 appear at all concerned about charges of Clinton buck-raking.
As we reported last week, polls show Clinton rolling full throttle toward the Democratic 2016 nomination, if she wants it. She鈥檚 crushing all potential intraparty challengers. That stuff about a challenge from the left by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts? Basically it鈥檚 bored journalists looking for ways to inject drama into a foreordained race.
Republican voters will be happy to tut-tut about Clinton鈥檚 perceived hypocrisy on money. But there鈥檚 a twist: What will they feel about their own party attacking someone for making money? Kind of a role reversal, no?
That鈥檚 what Politico鈥檚 Dylan Byers opines Monday in his post about Bloomberg鈥檚 new Clinton numbers.
鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 it be rich if the same Republicans who complain about the demonization of wealth decided to turn this into a talking point? Oh wait,鈥� writes Byers.
It鈥檚 likely the focus on wealth will fade at some point. It has persisted partly because Clinton is an unusual presidential precandidate, writes Bloomberg View political pundit Jonathan Bernstein.
At this point in a campaign the media are generally busy filling in the life story and political background of potential candidates. But everybody knows Clinton, so instead they鈥檙e picking at holes in her story.
When she switches into a more overtly political mode, she will begin making policy proposals and speaking more directly about the national situation. Then the media focus will move from Clinton wealth gaffes and book sales to the newer, more substantive material.
鈥淣one of the [current media] attention appears to be obstructing her path to the nomination, and it will be long forgotten by fall 2016. Except, perhaps, by those who aren鈥檛 going to vote for her anyway,鈥� .
