United States

The campaign for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination

On the road to that convention, front-runner Hillary Clinton was pushed to the limit by the challenge of Vermont Senator Sanders, whose “political revolution” was funded by some seven million mostly small-dollar donations (the average donation was long said to have been $27). Sanders supporters, including a legion of young people, were inspired by his firebrand determination to redress economic inequality, rein in Wall Street, provide single-payer universal health care, introduce tuition-free college education, and reform the political system.

Sanders, BernieBernie Sanders.Gage Skidmore

Having served as first lady, as a U.S. senator for New York, and as secretary of state, Clinton brought a wealth of experience to her candidacy, but for many voters she represented the status quo, even if she offered the potential of breaking the Oval Office’s glass ceiling as the first woman president. She was also dogged by the perception among many in the electorate that she was not trustworthy, partly because of her use of a private server for some of her e-mail during her tenure as secretary of state, an action that earned disapprobation from the FBI after investigation but that was not determined to be illegal.

Clinton entered the convention with over 2,800 delegates—more than the 2,383 needed to nominate—but her big advantage over Sanders, who had nearly 1,900 delegates, came from some 600 superdelegates in her column. Sanders could count on only about 50 superdelegates, who were not chosen through the primary and caucus process but instead were made up of prominent party members, members of the Democratic National Committee, and major elected officeholders. As the party’s nominee, Clinton sought to reach out to supporters of Sanders, who had left an indelible mark on the party’s platform and pushed Clinton to present herself prominently as a progressive and to shift many of her policies leftward.

Clinton, HillaryHillary Clinton at a campaign rally, 2016.© Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock.com