Hillary Clinton wasn’t on the ballot this year, but all of the candidates she’d campaigned for were, and they suffered some of the most embarrassing defeats of the cycle. Even MSNBC agrees that it was a bad night for Clinton.
Hillary campaigned for more than a dozen candidates across the country, making frequent use of the "war on women" rhetoric that many voters appear to be tired of hearing. As a result, Clinton had a rough night Tuesday. A number of Hillary-backed candidates lost despite running in reliably blue states such as Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Maine.
Clinton made several trips to Iowa, a crucial state for her 2016 hopes, but her star power failed to convince voters to elect Bruce Braley to the Senate. Voters in important swing states such as Florida and North Carolina also rejected her approved candidates. At the very least, this year's election results might make some Democrats want to rethink the prevailing notion that Hillary is a shoo-in for the presidency in 2016.
Here are a few of Hillary's losers:
Alison Lundergan Grimes (Kentucky Senate)
"The voters of Kentucky have a chance not just to send a message, but to alter the course of politics and government."
—Hillary Clinton
Bruce Braley (Iowa, Senate)
"It’s not enough to be a woman, you have to be committed to expand rights and opportunities for all women."
—Hillary Clinton on Joni Ernst
Mark Udall (Colorado, Senate)
"Colorado is well-known for being an energy state, and I think, honestly, there's enough energy in here to light a small city for a month."
—Hillary Clinton
Kay Hagan (North Carolina, Senate)
"Tell them to vote their hopes, not their fears. Tell them to votes their dreams. Tell them to vote for Kay Hagan for the United States Senate."
—Hillary Clinton
Pat Quinn (Illinois, Governor)
"[Pat Quinn] has just been entered into the Guinness World Records book as luckiest politician."
—Hillary Clinton
Martha Coakley (Massachusetts, Governor)
"Don't let anybody tell you that, you know, it's corporations and businesses that create jobs…Martha understands it."
—Hillary Clinton
Mike Michaud (Maine, Governor)
"I think Maine needs a fresh start. Mike has the grit and the vision to deliver that."
—Hillary Clinton
Anthony Brown (Maryland, Governor)
"They may be checking the box next to Anthony Brown, but they're really voting for themselves."
—Hillary Clinton
Sean Eldridge (New York, House)
"Congress needs an independent advocate like Sean, who will shake things up."
—Hillary Clinton
Even more embarrassing than Hillary's record on election night was the way her political team tried to spin the results:
Hillary Clinton's 2014 Senate record was 3 wins, 6 losses and 1 runoff. Aides argue her 2014 participation was bigger than wins & losses.
— Dan Merica (@danmericaCNN) November 5, 2014
Hillaryland sources casting GOP takeover as setting the stage for her to swoop in as Dem Party savior.
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) November 5, 2014
Perhaps they missed the exit polls showing that more voters thought Hillary would make a bad president than thought she’d make a good one.
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