--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Was i Doomed from the Start? Some pundits…" description: "\"“Was i Doomed from the Start? Some pundits have also said my campaign was doomed from the start, either because of my weaknesses as a candidate or beca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_american-people_was-i-doomed-from-the-start-some-pundits_1528364.jpg" --- # Was i Doomed from the Start? Some pundits have also said… ![“Was i Doomed from the Start? Some pundits have also said my campaign was doomed from the start, either because of my weaknesses as a candidate or because America was caught up in a historic wave of angry, tribal populism sweeping the world. Maybe. But don't forget I wan the popular vote by nearly…” quote by Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_american-people_was-i-doomed-from-the-start-some-pundits_1528364.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_american-people_was-i-doomed-from-the-start-some-pundits_1528364.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/hillary-rodham-clinton-890_american-people_was-i-doomed-from-the-start-some-pundits_1528364.jpg) > ““Was i Doomed from the Start? Some pundits have also said my campaign was doomed from the start, either because of my weaknesses as a candidate or because America was caught up in a historic wave of angry, tribal populism sweeping the world. Maybe. But don't forget I wan the popular vote by nearly three million, roughly the same margin by which George W. Bush defeated John Kerry in 2004. It's hard to see how that happens if I'm hopeless out of step with the American people. Still as I've discussed throughout this book, I do think it's fair to say there was a fundamental mismatch between how i approach politics and what a lot of the country wanted to hear in 2016. I've learned that even the best plans and proposals can land on deaf ears when people are disillusioned by a broken political system and disgusted with politicians. When people are angry and looking for someone to blame, they don't want to hear your ten-point plan to create jobs and raise wages. They want you to be angry, too.”” [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clinton reflects on the mismatch between her campaign’s policies and a polarized, angry electorate, noting that emotional resonance often outweighs detailed proposals. **In simple terms:** Emotions can trump policy in elections. Key Takeaway Focus on connecting emotionally with voters. Themes politics election populism communication public sentiment Mood frustrated reflective determined Type political reflective analytical When to use this quote - campaign strategy - public speaking - media relations - grassroots outreach Key Concepts polarization emotional appeal voter behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can candidates balance policy depth with emotional appeal? - What strategies help bridge the gap between political messaging and public sentiment? A Different Perspective Policy details may be ignored if they don't address voters' emotions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Broken Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-political-393053/) [Campaign Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-doomed-5665417/) [Deaf ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deaf-ears/) [Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed/) [Doomed Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed-start-1568947/) [George w](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/george-w/) [John kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-kerry/) [Political system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-system/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Populism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/populism/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Tribal Populism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tribal-populism-5665418/) ## Related quotes > [“Iron. Ice. A Love Doomed From the Start”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/iron-ice-a-love-doomed-from-the-start/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [You had one shot at happiness and you blew it. Just kidding, you were doomed from the start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-had-one-shot-at-happiness-and-you-blew-it-just-kidding-you-were/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Chicago's been under the grip of the corrupt and broken political machine for as long as everybody's memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/chicago-s-been-under-the-grip-of-the-corrupt-and-broken-political/) [Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/) > [“I don't get why protesting a broken political system also means you need to protest the very notion o objective truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/i-don-t-get-why-protesting-a-broken-political-system-also-means-you/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) > [Well, I think it's just remarkable how wrong the conventional wisdom was. It was utterly shocking that Donald Trump won to people who live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vance/well-i-think-it-s-just-remarkable-how-wrong-the-conventional-wisdom/) [James Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vance/) > [There's disgust with what people called a broken political system, and they're really angry at elites, whether it's the Republican establishment or particularly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/there-s-disgust-with-what-people-called-a-broken-political-system-and/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [I am not tied to the broken political machine, and I did not aspire to climb the ranks of the Cook County Democratic Party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/i-am-not-tied-to-the-broken-political-machine-and-i-did-not-aspire-to/) [Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/) > [There speaks the man of truly noble ways, Who will not listen to the words of praise. In modesty averse, and with deaf ears,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/there-speaks-the-man-of-truly-noble-ways-who-will-not-listen-to-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [You need to be able to communicate what you feel - good or bad. But when I feel things are falling on deaf ears,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirti-kulhari/you-need-to-be-able-to-communicate-what-you-feel-good-or-bad-but-when/) [Kirti Kulhari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirti-kulhari/) > [I ask you: turn a deaf ear to the special interests. Let politics stand down for a while. don't waste anytime thinking about future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-riley/i-ask-you-turn-a-deaf-ear-to-the-special-interests-let-politics-stand/) [Bob Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-riley/) > [Deep within the shadows I'm the hungry wolf you fear But I can see that you're the only evil creature here Before you came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omnia/deep-within-the-shadows-i-m-the-hungry-wolf-you-fear-but-i-can-see/) [Omnia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omnia/) > [“God uses a multiplicity of ways to communicate with His people. Letters and numbers are just a fraction of the vehicles that God uses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael/god-uses-a-multiplicity-of-ways-to-communicate-with-his-people/) [Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael/) > [Look at you, you miserable fool. Get off your knees, your prayers fall upon deaf ears. Gods turned his back on you, heavens gates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesana/look-at-you-you-miserable-fool-get-off-your-knees-your-prayers-fall/) [Alesana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesana/) > [You read statistics all the time like, "13 million people are at risk because of the severe drought in East Africa," but I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/you-read-statistics-all-the-time-like-13-million-people-are-at-risk/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [Who would have guessed that the shots heard 'round the world 225 years ago would fall on deaf ears in a nation now more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-malkin/who-would-have-guessed-that-the-shots-heard-round-the-world-225-years/) [Michelle Malkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-malkin/) ## More by Hillary Rodham Clinton > [“Putin has positioned himself as the leader of an authoritarian, xenophobic international movement that wants to expel immigrants, break up the European Union, weaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/putin-has-positioned-himself-as-the-leader-of-an-authoritarian/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“It’s true, though, that we struggled to stay on message. My advisors had to deal with a candidate—me—who often wanted something new to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/it-s-true-though-that-we-struggled-to-stay-on-message-my-advisors-had/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“He reminded me to focus on the “trendlines,” not just the headlines, and to relish the experiences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/he-reminded-me-to-focus-on-the-trendlines-not-just-the-headlines-and/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“Democrats should reevaluate a lot of our assumptions about which policies are politically viable. These trends make universal programs even more appealing than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/democrats-should-reevaluate-a-lot-of-our-assumptions-about-which/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“You Can't Keep Wild Animal In Your Back Yard And Expect It To Go only After Your Neighbor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/you-can-t-keep-wild-animal-in-your-back-yard-and-expect-it-to-go-only/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“In people’s lives and worldviews, concerns about economics, race, gender, class, and culture all blend together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/in-people-s-lives-and-worldviews-concerns-about-economics-race-gender/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“if you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/if-you-want-to-go-quickly-go-alone-if-you-want-to-go-far-go-together/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“On her very first day, when she politely raised questions about Bernie’s health care plan—she has a master’s degree in public health and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/on-her-very-first-day-when-she-politely-raised-questions-about-bernie/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“Too many saw the world in zero-sum terms, believing that gains made by fellow Americans they viewed as “other”—people of color, immigrants, women, LGBT…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/too-many-saw-the-world-in-zero-sum-terms-believing-that-gains-made-by/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“Usually when I meet people who are frustrated and angry, my instinctive response is to talk about how we can fix things. That’s why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/usually-when-i-meet-people-who-are-frustrated-and-angry-my/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“In the words of Secretary Clinton, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance in the world to pursue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/in-the-words-of-secretary-clinton-never-doubt-that-you-are-valuable/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“To quote Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in the U.S. Cabinet, under FDR, “The accusation that I’m a woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/to-quote-secretary-of-labor-frances-perkins-the-first-woman-to-serve/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“While there are few problems in today’s world that the United States can solve alone, there are even fewer that can be solved without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/while-there-are-few-problems-in-today-s-world-that-the-united-states/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“if he knows that the Donald J. Trump Foundation is little more than a personal piggy bank, he’ll turn around and accuse, with no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/if-he-knows-that-the-donald-j-trump-foundation-is-little-more-than-a/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“One of the most important but least recognized facts in American politics is that Republicans tend to win in places where more people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/one-of-the-most-important-but-least-recognized-facts-in-american/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) [Explore all 336 Hillary Rodham Clinton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) ## More American people quotes > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/) [Victor Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-gold/) > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/probably-the-greatest-single-obstacle-to-the-progress-and-happiness/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/if-a-financial-institution-has-business-operations-in-the-united/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [The American people demand results, not rhetoric, especially when it comes to national security issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-hayworth/the-american-people-demand-results-not-rhetoric-especially-when-it/) [J. D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) [Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Was i Doomed from the Start? Some pundits have also said my campaign was doomed from the start, either because of my weaknesses as a candidate or because America was caught up in a historic wave of angry, tribal populism sweeping the world. Maybe. But don't forget I wan the popular vote by nearly three million, roughly the same margin by which George W. Bush defeated John Kerry in 2004. It's hard to see how that happens if I'm hopeless out of step with the American people. Still as I've discussed throughout this book, I do think it's fair to say there was a fundamental mismatch between how i approach politics and what a lot of the country wanted to hear in 2016. I've learned that even the best plans and proposals can land on deaf ears when people are disillusioned by a broken political system and disgusted with politicians. When people are angry and looking for someone to blame, they don't want to hear your ten-point plan to create jobs and raise wages. 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