Hillary is past her expiration date and drawing in the younger crowd.
Via Politico:
She doesn’t attract the stadium crowds that have come out to hear Bernie Sanders rail against corporate America and call for a political revolution.
Her events never turn violent, like Donald Trump’s rallies, where police officers have been called in to break up confrontations between protesters and supporters, both sides heated up by the candidate’s negative and angry words.
Eight months into the campaign slog, Hillary Clinton’s events on the road are medium in size, predictable in nature. Emblematic of the candidate, her town halls and rallies are often controlled, substantive, and almost never veer off script. They often leave attendees hugely impressed with Clinton’s knowledge of the issues, but not necessarily in love.
The rallies are, at bottom, a microcosm of Clinton’s campaign so far – methodical, professional, but also curiously mechanical and lacking in electricity. A breakdown of who actually comes out to see Clinton demonstrates how the Democratic frontrunner is slowly coalescing support around her bid, from union muscle to diehard fans. But around the edges lurk the detractors, constant reminders on the trail of how divisive Clinton has been during her two decades in public life and the baggage that trails her.
On Clinton’s most recent swing through Iowa, POLITICO broke down the anatomy of a Clinton rally, eight months in.
The superfans: Jim Livesey approached Clinton on the rope line Wednesday after her town hall in Waterloo, cell phone extended, selfie-ready. “Is this the 900th selfie you’ve taken with me?” Clinton asked him as she leaned in to comply. He was undeterred and serious: “Let’s make it 901.” Livesey is one of the most active “HRC Super Volunteers,” a network of 1,200 diehards who show up at Clinton events, conduct phone banks and canvass for her. He’s attended over 30 events this year, and shows off an iPhone photo roll made up primarily of pictures with the Clintons. Livesey has a day job in the private sector, but says “I’m in management so I control my own schedule.” His passion is on the road, trailing Clinton. “See you in Minneapolis!” he yelled to her as she exited the convention center, smiling politely.
The protesters: They’re often the first sign you know you’ve arrived at the right location to see Clinton. They stand outside of her events holding signs like, “Hillary Enables Rapists: I Believe Juanita Broaddrick,” a reference to the Arkansas woman who claimed that she was raped by Bill Clinton in the 1970s, an allegation Clinton’s lawyer denied. Another: “HILLARY IS A LIAR: Whitewater, Benghazi Blood, Email Gate, $ Elite, Sniper Fire, ‘I’m broke.’” If the right-wing conspiracy didn’t succeed in toppling the Clintons, it helped to sow a deep distrust and personal loathing among a certain segment of the population, their signs a reminder of the baked-in feeling among many voters that Clinton has trust issues.