Why does the midwest dislike Hillary Clinton?

[Radical Activist]

We've seen Obama win primaries in every part of America. But Clinton hasn't won a single Midwestern primary. Why does she do so poorly in the region?

Her losses include Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Missouri. If you go further west to the great plains states it continues with Kansas and North Dakota. She's behind in the polls in the remaining Midwest and Plains states.

I know someone will make a weak attempt to bring up Michigan so let's get that out of the way. Getting only 55% when you're the only major candidate on the ballot and there were no active campaigns isn't a victory. Its pathetic.

Can any Democrat win if they have to give up on the Midwest?

I have my own opinion about why she losses every state in the region but I'd like to hear from other people first, including Clinton supporters. What's your take?

[woolldog]

1. ...

They are less beholden to the democratic machine. The midwest has a long history of supporting populist, maverick, grass-roots, anti-establishment type candidates.

[Radical Activist]

2. Interesting idea.

That's one I hadn't thought of and its a good point. The Midwest often rebels against the established order set by New York and the Northeast region of the country. That goes to all kinds of things beyond politics like music and entertainment. When the establishment needs to be overturned its often done by those in rural areas and the flyover states.

[tritsofme]

12. Obama got his oats in the Daley's Chicago machine.

I don't know if that particularly explains that.

[sandnsea]

3. Independence

and respect. Her health insurance plan is classic. Mandates. She hasn't even got the job, hasn't sat down with the Congress or American people, and she's already shoving a mandate down our throats.

It's that simple. And she just does not get it.

[Radical Activist]

4. Even the liberals are more anti-authoritarian.

I can see that. Hillary comes off like a "Big Brother is watching over you" kind of candidate sometimes. That doesn't play well in Peoria.

[mihalevich]

7. true

Our country needs Hope. Shit I need Hope. He is the one that will transform America and the world. and I know It seems unlikely, But I believe that he has a ability to unite an transform this country.

[woolldog]

10. ...

What gets me is the Clinton supporters are so mired in their abject cynicism that even to talk in those terms is viewed as "naive."

[woolldog]

6. re

I hate the idea of mandates too.

[Sherman A1]

5. Don't know if I agree with the premise of the question here...

Look at Missouri on a county by county basis. HRC won almost everyone outside of the major cities. Obama won St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jackson County (KC), the area around Columbia (U of M) and one in the upper NW corner. HRC won everything else. So I don't know if you can say she lost MO or he won it. The vote was very, very close in any case. I think she would do well or he would do well here in the general election. Not sure if they will win the state, but overall folks seem to be ticked off at the current situation and coming out in big numbers to vote. That I believe to be a good thing no matter who wins. More people involved is always good (and I believe tends to favor the Democrats).

Just my opinion......

[Radical Activist]

8. You can say Obama won Missouri

because he won the most votes. That's pretty clear cut.

Of all the Midwestern states Missouri is the one Hillary should have won. It borders Arkansas and is as much Southern culturally as it is Midwestern. I think Obama edging out a win there is one of the most important signs of the campaign so far.

[sandnsea]

11. That would be a different question

Why did people who are never going to vote for Hillary in the GE go ahead and vote for her against Obama.

[Radical Activist]

17. Do you think there was a lot of that going on?

[mihalevich]

13. yes. I'm from one of those

counties that voted for clinton is SW Missouri. I don't think the people know Obama that well down here. We did have over 10,000 people vote for Obama in my county, and if they didn't, Missouri would have gone to clinton.

[Radical Activist]

14. For most of Missouri its a shorter drive to Little Rock than Chicago.

I think Obama would have done better thare if he had been able to spend more time in the parts of the state not bordering Illinois. He does better everywhere he goes when people get to know him.

[AtomicKitten]

9. I think she concentrated on target-rich states and blew off those with little payoff.

Barack's plan is a 50-state strategy, very much like Howard Dean's.

[Radical Activist]

15. My take: Its about personality and authenticity.

People in the Midwest can spot a fake. They can sense when someone is selling them a story and when someone thinks they're better than other people. That's true for any region of the country but its an especially strong part of the culture in the down-to-earth Midwest.

Paul Wellstone often talked about the power of conviction politics. People will vote for someone they disagree with on many issues if they think the candidate is a sincere person who will stand by their convictions. Its no coincidence that he was from a Midwestern state.

Anyone from Illinois who remembers Senator Paul Simon knows that he was more liberal than many of the people who voted for him. He won Republican votes despite being very liberal because people saw him as a straight shooter who stood by his convictions.

No one sees Hillary as a straight shooter who stands by her convictions. She puts on a show and tells you what you want to hear. Midwesterners can see that and we don't buy it.
The sad part is that the Republicans learned Paul Wellstone's lesson better than Democrats have. They keep playing to the image of someone who stands by their convictions (even if it isn't true) while Democrats keep nominating candidates who are easy targets for accusations of being an unprincipled flip-flopper.

[Radical Activist]

16. wow

things move off the front page fast during the day. Anyone else?

[Radical Activist]

18. kick

because its important.

[TexasObserver]

19. the Midwest has low tolerance for phonies

[Radical Activist]

20. Yeah, there's the short way of saying it.

I agree.