As many are aware, Hillary Clinton's clenching of the Democratic nomination is basically written in stone. However, it seems the candidate may have larger issues heading into the general election. Clinton aids and supporters point to an "enthusiasm gap" among voters in both parties. According to The New York Times, early polling suggests Clinton does not inspire the enthusiasm of young (18-to-29-year-old), black, or hispanic citizens and many from those groups have a "negative view" of her.
Although Clinton still has a healthy lead among women, her numbers among other loyal Democratic demographics seems to be seriously waning.
A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed that a "plurality of young voters" view Clinton negatively. Compared to President Obama and former President Clinton's approval rating of about 60 percent among young voters, Hillary only received 35 percent approval with 57 percent reporting an unfavorable rating. This cohort (age 18-29) accounted for 19 percent of the electorate in the most recent election.
Compounding Clinton's problems is her image among independent voters. Although she remains the frontrunner, she is losing to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders among Democratic-leaning independents, who largely have a negative opinion of the former Secretary of State. This demographic accounted for roughly 30 percent of the electorate last election.
While few debate the notion that Clinton could defeat a Republican nominee among black and Hispanic voters, many are concerned that these citizens will not feel galvanized to vote for a candidate they do not view favorably. In the 2012 election, 13 percent of the electorate was black, of which 90 percent voted for Obama. Further, 10 percent of the electorate was Hispanic, who voted 71 percent for Obama.
Aids to Clinton are concerned that she has a problem with likability among voters and needs to change her public persona to accommodate their tastes. However, a calculated shift in public personality may be seen as a callous political move and may end up costing her in the long run.
