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Learning From History: Democrats Will Not Repeat These 2016 Mistakes

As we approach the 2024 election, Democrats must learn from the past and avoid the mistakes that led to their stunning defeat in 2016.

Libby Winkler
5 min readAug 10, 2024
Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash

Learning From History: Democrats Will Not Repeat These 2016 Mistakes

The 2016 presidential election was a seismic event that shook the foundations of American politics.

For Democrats, it was a painful reminder of the consequences of underestimating an opponent, over-relying on conventional wisdom, and failing to recognize the unique dynamics of that election cycle.

As we approach the 2024 election, Democrats must learn from the past and avoid the mistakes that led to their stunning defeat in 2016.

1. Overconfidence in Polling Data

One of the most significant mistakes 2016 was the overreliance on polling data that suggested Hillary Clinton had a comfortable lead over Donald Trump. Many Democrats, including Clinton’s campaign team, assumed victory was nearly inevitable. This sense of security led to complacency, with crucial battleground states not receiving their deserved attention.

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Libby Winkler
Libby Winkler

Written by Libby Winkler

Freelance writer who loves exploring the messiness of humanity, while poking around in nooks of life and shining light on all the things that make us complex..

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