Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy

What Hillary Clinton Needs to Accomplish at the DNC (Q&A)

Tuesday, July 26, 2016, By Kathleen Haley
Share
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
people at convention

Delegates gather at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Photo by Chris Frommann/DNCC on Flickr

Hillary Clinton has a long road ahead. The Democratic presidential nominee (as of today’s nominating roll call vote at the Democratic National Convention) is running even with Republican candidate Donald Trump in some polls, and some supporters of former rival Sen. Bernie Sanders are not ready to unite with Clinton, causing a troubling stir at the convention.

Christopher Faricy Portrait

Christopher Faricy

Christopher Faricy, assistant professor of political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, provides some insights as to what Clinton might need to do during this critical time to win support—both inside and outside her party.

Faricy is the author of “Welfare for the Wealthy: Parties, Social Spending, and Inequality in the United States” (2015, Cambridge University Press) and focuses his research on public policy, political economy, political institutions and public opinion.

Q: What does Clinton have to do at the DNC to win over Bernie Sanders’ supporters (especially in the recent wake of hacked emails seeming to show the Democratic National Committee’s preference for Clinton)?

A: There are two types of Sanders supporters: liberal Democrats and new voters. The vast majority of liberal Democrats have already come over to Clinton, in part because they are anti-Trump. The new voters that have been brought in by Bernie will be a harder sell. Bernie Sanders, and to an extent Elizabeth Warren, used their speeches on Monday night to convince supporters that showing up to vote in November is an important step in pushing forward the progressive movement. The DNC email leak makes this a harder sell, especially since many of these voters have the option of voting for the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein.

Q: What does Clinton have to say at the convention to get out ahead of Donald Trump, now that polls show they may be even?

A: Secretary Clinton has two jobs at the convention. One, Clinton is the most famous person in America that people do not really know. She has to tell her personal story so that she can better connect with white working-class voters and build more trust among the electorate. Second, she has to lay out a simple case against Donald Trump, explaining why he is not qualified for the office of the presidency.

Q: How might her vice president selection of Tim Kaine help her?

A: Tim Kaine comes across as authentic and likeable—two attributes not often used to describe Clinton. Most importantly, he is a popular senator from a swing state and if this is a close election, then Virginia might determine the winner in November. Finally, Kaine’s first big speech after being named was delivered partly in Spanish as a nod to Latino voters and focused on civil rights issues as a signal to voters of color in the party.  These are crucial segments of the Obama coalition that Clinton needs to turn out on Election Day.

  • Author

Kathleen Haley

  • Recent
  • Former Orange Point Guard and Maxwell Alumna ‘Roxi’ Nurse McNabb Still Driving for an Assist
    Tuesday, July 8, 2025, By Jessica Smith
  • Empowering Learners With Personalized Microcredentials, Stackable Badges
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Hope Alvarez
  • WISE Women’s Business Center Awarded Grant From Empire State Development, Celebrates Entrepreneur of the Year Award
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Dawn McWilliams
  • Rose Tardiff ’15: Sparking Innovation With Data, Mapping and More
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By News Staff
  • Law Professor Receives 2025 Onondaga County NAACP Freedom Fund Award
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Robert Conrad

More In Media, Law & Policy

Professor Nina Kohn Serves as Reporter for 2 Uniform Acts

College of Law Distinguished Professor Nina Kohn is helping to create “gold standard” legislation on some of the most important issues facing older adults and individuals with cognitive disabilities. Based on her legal expertise, including in the area of elder…

250 Years Later, Declaration of Independence Still Challenges, Inspires a Nation: A Conversation With Professor Carol Faulkner

In June 1776, from a rented room in Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson penned the first draft of the document that would forge a nation. The stakes were high, amidst the ongoing war with the British, to find the right words to…

Philanthropy Driven by Passion, Potential and Purpose

Ken Pontarelli ’92 credits the University for changing his life, opening up opportunities to pursue his passions and achieve professional success that allows him to focus on the public good. In return, he and his wife, Tracey, are paying it…

First-Year Law Student to First-Year Dean: Lau Combines Law and Business to Continue College of Law’s Upward Trajectory

Three decades ago, Terence J. Lau L’98 walked the corridors as an eager student in the College of Law, then located in White Hall. He knew he had been given a rare chance—and a full scholarship—to be a part of…

Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19 Share a Love of Sportscasting and Storytelling (Podcast)

There’s a new father-son sportscasting team on the national scene, one with a decidedly Orange background: Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19. Ian finished his second year as the lead announcer for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and has crafted…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.