Democratic Division: Hillary Clinton’s Return and the Party’s Sabotage of the Left

Hillary Clinton is back! Fresh off of recommending the US bomb Syria’s air bases, the defeated Democratic presidential candidate appeared alongside New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to glad-hand reporters and supporters and talk about the state’s new “free college” plan—which, in reality, is far more moderate than the tagline would suggest.

Yes, for a second time, Clinton and Cuomo stood together to pretend the former hadn’t campaigned against the very plan the latter was about to implement—the first being his signing of a $15/hour minimum wage law.

And while the neoliberal wing of the divided Democraric Party celebrated the former Secretary of State’s return to the national scene, many on the left raised their eyebrows, and recoiled.

@HillaryClinton You didn’t set out to do anything. You called it pie in the sky. You’re jumping in policy of guy who U stole nom from. Ur no leader.

— #trumpRussia (@JustAnotherRich) April 12, 2017

@ResidentSmith@JustAnotherRich@HillaryClinton Anyone who doesn’t see #Hillary2020 in this isn’t looking hard enough. #GoBackToTheFuckingWoods

— Peter Daou’s Tears (@theGSpledge) April 12, 2017

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@D16_twitt3r@ResidentSmith@JustAnotherRich@HillaryClinton It is her right, but her slefishness will just be guaranteeing another 4 years of Republican control of WH with or without Trump.

— Peter Daou’s Tears (@theGSpledge) April 12, 2017

Clinton’s return comes at an inopportune time for a Democratic Party still trying to overcome the divide her left-shaming campaign caused. Just this week, it came out that the DCCC failed to provide financial assistance to progressive Democrat James Thompson who, despite that fact, performed shockingly well in a special congressional election in the gerrymandered, safe Republican district that is Kansas’ 4th. Observer writer Michael Saintano noted that centrist Democrats in other races around the country did receive financial aid, and asserted that the Democratic establishment appears to have no interest in electing progressive candidates.

This kind of speculation has dogged the party since its election by party insiders, of establishment favorites Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi for Senate and House leadership (respectively), and former Labor Secretary Tom Perez for DNC Chair.

Since his election, Perez has done little to inspire confidence from the left, selecting a transition team comprised entirely of Clinton loyalists, and only adding a few progressive members amidst backlash. And now Kansas has been added to his list of achievements.

The future does not look bright for the Democratic Party if nothing changes. Clinton’s return threatens what unity has been mustered since her defeat. She should go back to the woods, and allow the party to change.