Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a cautionary message to the Democratic Party, suggesting that even significant victories in upcoming midterm elections could be squandered if the party fails to maintain a sharp focus on the issues most critical to voters. Her remarks were made during an appearance on the "Pivot" podcast.
Speaking alongside "Pivot" co-hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway at a live Election Night event, Clinton expressed a strong belief in a potential Democratic surge. "I think we're going to wake up to a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate," she stated.
Scott Galloway echoed Clinton's optimistic outlook regarding a Democratic sweep but cautioned that such a triumph might be fleeting unless the party effectively addresses public concerns. "Let's count our chickens and assume we take the House and the Senate, and it's Nov. 4. I would argue it's a lease, not a mortgage; dating, not a relationship," Galloway observed. He elaborated, suggesting that any Democratic gains might stem more from voter dissatisfaction with the opposition rather than a deep affection for the Democratic platform. "I think that it'll be a function of not them loving Democrats, but hating us less."
Galloway then posed a crucial question about long-term strategy: "What do you think the Democratic Party needs to do, or Democratic leadership, what are two or three things you think they need to do immediately such that we can turn this into something enduring going into ‘28 instead of just them flipping back in 24 months?"
Securing Enduring Voter Support
Clinton concurred with Galloway's assessment, emphasizing the necessity for Democrats to build upon any midterm successes by diligently pursuing their stated objectives if they aim for continued electoral prosperity in future cycles, specifically looking toward 2028. "You're absolutely right, Scott. If the Democrats don't go in with an agenda and have the discipline to enact that agenda, then they're going to lose the kind of support that they're going to gain in this election," she asserted.
Prioritizing Key Policy Initiatives
According to Clinton, Democrats can leverage potential midterm gains by concentrating on three primary areas: enhancing affordability, tackling corruption, and initiating investigations into the activities surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Regarding affordability, Clinton articulated several avenues for action. "Number one, they ought to look at the affordability agenda. What's going to be in that? I think there are several things, one of which is healthcare costs," she explained. She also suggested other measures:
- Accelerating housing starts.
- Re-evaluating how the burden of fossil fuel costs could be shifted from consumers to oil and gas companies, which have reported record profits.
"So, I think that there's a lot of good work being done right now to put together an affordability package," Clinton commented.
The second critical area, she noted, is an anti-corruption package. "Secondly, an anti-corruption package. You know, people have to feel that this issue of corruption is going to be front and center because it has been costing money," Clinton stated. She highlighted that some individuals have profited at the expense of ordinary Americans. "People have been benefiting at the expense of, you know, everyday Americans, consumers, people who get up every day and try to make a living."
Finally, Clinton identified the need for investigations into DOGE's impact. She specifically referenced concerns related to Elon Musk's involvement. "We still don't even know the damage that Elon Musk did through DOGE," Clinton remarked. She raised questions about data security: "We don't know what data was illegally taken, your social security data, your Medicare data … where is it? What's it being used for? We need to get to the bottom of this."