2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: By 61% to 34% voters in the newest Quinnipiac poll say Hillary is not honest [View all]As I pointed out, many of these polls include Republicans, every last one of whom is going to name her as the biggest liar on earth. Take them away, and many Democrats still perceive her as dishonest, slippery, conniving, etc. but say they will voter for her. When you compare her with her Republican counterparts, I would say she comes out at least as direct and forthright as any of them. She only suffers by comparison to Sanders, who is known for speaking directly, not beating around the bush, etc. Of course, both candidates have a public image, and part of that image is probably undeserved, because it's... well... image. Sanders is my favorite, but he's not a saint, even though it benefits Clinton's detractors to portray him that way for some added contrast. So this is probably the way in which the Sanders candidacy hurts Clinton the most. It enables this false comparison, this idea that it's a choice between good and evil, a false dichotomy. Without Sanders, Clinton would be more often compared to her Republican rivals, and that would be a more favorable comparison for her. "Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump: who do you feel is more trustworthy?"