If Hillary Clinton supporters want to blame those responsible for the current email scandal that has disrupted her presidential campaign, look no further than the Democratic Party! But first, let’s back up and examine how we got here. The way the issue was initially handled blew it up into a scandal.
Most every American can relate to not wanting embarrassing computer entries made public. No one wants his or her solitaire history on the work computer made known to his or her boss. Or how many personal plans and ballgame scores are developed and checked on while at work. But the Clinton people (probably owing to them actually knowing what’s in the emails) overacted and initially tried to stonewall. Then when that didn’t work, they dripped out email dumps and tried to characterize them as “dinner plans” and “wardrobe discussions” when of course we all know it’s much more than that. The red meat of not saying what’s in the emails was the real hammer. In politics, a well-known unknown is devastating. “Just what is she hiding?” is the unanswerable question. But just who can do the most damage on this issue? Not Republicans. The real enemy on this is Clinton’s friends.
The real problem isn’t dealing with the private email scandal during a general election. By that point, it will firmly be established as a fact that Clinton kept super-secretive documents on her personal Blackberry. No, the real damage is occurring in the Democratic primary. Why do we see ole goofy Bernie Sanders leading in early states like New Hampshire? (Other than the Democratic Party is made up of so many more socialists than it wants you to know.) It’s because even a few of the party faithful are having real doubts about her ability to win in the fall because of the scandal. These insiders are the power-first crowd. They see Clinton as damaged goods, so they’re looking for a different horse to ride to keep their position of power. They don’t necessarily like Sanders; heck, they know he can’t win, so it’s not like they’re switching to Sanders. It’s more like undecided is their choice.
That erosion has led to a drop in her numbers and — wait for it — Vice President Joe Biden’s entry into the race. He’s the real beneficiary of this email scandal and the one who can do the most damage with it. She can claim partisan hatred if and when she’s hit with it in the fall, but to have a potential Democratic rival start to talk about “honesty” in office is a killer. “Crazy Joe” has suddenly become a big-time candidate and the one who has the wherewithal to derail the Clinton train. Imagine the juxtaposition: Here’s Clinton with the baggage of scandal after scandal hanging around her neck, and here’s the vice president (goofy as he may be) opening up to Stephen Colbert and millions more about the intimate details of his conversations with his son while the son was dying. Saint Joe is born, and also birthed is a draft Biden campaign that seems to encompass a lot of party insiders.
If history is a guide in political scandal, then I’m guessing at a critical point, someone will come forward and take the blame for the whole thing. Some aide or former State Department employee who you’ve never heard of will say, “It’s all my fault,” and a patsy is born. This scandal may end in a court that doesn’t include public opinion.
Bill Vickery is a political consultant and appears on Political Plays on KARK on Friday mornings. Listen to him on The Sunday Buzz from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on 103.7 The Buzz.