--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was gonna be a race [2016] that set a…" description: "\"It was gonna be a race [2016] that set a foundation for the Left in the future. But given the math, I didn't think he was gonna make it. And so I start..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/tom-hayden-17038_clinton_it-was-gonna-be-a-race-2016-that-set-a-f_1070015.jpg" --- # It was gonna be a race \[2016\] that set a foundation for… ![“It was gonna be a race [2016] that set a foundation for the Left in the future. But given the math, I didn't think he was gonna make it. And so I started to shift to Hillary [Clinton] and to discussions of the platform and discussions of what to do.” quote by Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/tom-hayden-17038_clinton_it-was-gonna-be-a-race-2016-that-set-a-f_1070015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/tom-hayden-17038_clinton_it-was-gonna-be-a-race-2016-that-set-a-f_1070015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/tom-hayden-17038_clinton_it-was-gonna-be-a-race-2016-that-set-a-f_1070015.jpg) > “It was gonna be a race \[2016\] that set a foundation for the Left in the future. But given the math, I didn't think he was gonna make it. And so I started to shift to Hillary \[Clinton\] and to discussions of the platform and discussions of what to do.” [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He predicted the left’s future would be shaped by a race he doubted would succeed, prompting a strategic shift to Hillary Clinton and platform discussions. **In simple terms:** He saw a race as a foundation for the left but doubted its success, so he refocused on Clinton and policy. Key Takeaway Adapt strategy when outcomes seem unlikely. Themes politics strategy leadership Mood cautious strategic Type political reflective When to use this quote - campaign planning - policy formulation - grassroots organizing - media messaging Key Concepts electoral dynamics party building Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide when to change course? - What risks arise from abandoning an initial plan? A Different Perspective Predictions can be wrong; shifting alliances may alienate supporters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Discussion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion/) [Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation/) [Foundation Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation-left-2661379/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hillary/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Left Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-future-2661377/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Platforms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platforms/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Shift Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shift-hillary-2661378/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [ Someone cold, politically calculating with no moral compass who can't be trusted. That's what polling and discussions with voters indicate \[about Hillary Clinton\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-keith/someone-cold-politically-calculating-with-no-moral-compass-who-can-t/) [Tamara Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-keith/) > [This world is not a platform where you will hear Thalberg-piano-playing. It is a piano manufactory, where are dust and shavings and boards, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/this-world-is-not-a-platform-where-you-will-hear-thalberg-piano/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“three platforms: Amazon, Google, and Facebook. Registering, iterating, and monetizing its audience is the heart of each platform’s business. It’s what the most valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-galloway/three-platforms-amazon-google-and-facebook-registering-iterating-and/) [Scott Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-galloway/) > [My company created a platform called Modlife, this prepackaged website that runs an artist's website.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/my-company-created-a-platform-called-modlife-this-prepackaged-website/) [Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/) > [English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions. In the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/english-literature-is-a-glorious-inheritance-which-is-open-to-all/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Microsoft is the productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/microsoft-is-the-productivity-and-platform-company-for-the-mobile/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [I don't expect anybody here to cheerlead for Donald Trump. I expect us to have platforms like this, where we can fairly and effectively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/i-don-t-expect-anybody-here-to-cheerlead-for-donald-trump-i-expect-us/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [Tachyon OPC+ is a natural extension of our market-winning Tachyon platform, giving customers a clear path to minimizing the OPC error budget and producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/tachyon-opc-is-a-natural-extension-of-our-market-winning-tachyon/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [It is often sadly remarked that the bad economists present their errors to the public better than the good economists present their truths. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/it-is-often-sadly-remarked-that-the-bad-economists-present-their/) [Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/) > [Everything for us is a system. We don't think about it discretely as just as a piece of hardware, or discretely as an application...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosain-rahman/everything-for-us-is-a-system-we-don-t-think-about-it-discretely-as/) [Hosain Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosain-rahman/) > [I reject the idea there are just two sides. I think that with the amount of ideas and thoughts there are, it's not even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-reject-the-idea-there-are-just-two-sides-i-think-that-with-the/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [And then you came along and you spoke to me and nobody had looked me in the eye for years. (...) But I remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/and-then-you-came-along-and-you-spoke-to-me-and-nobody-had-looked-me/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [We could have lost faith and just let this battle with cancer get the best of us, or I could give my daughter's battle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-still/we-could-have-lost-faith-and-just-let-this-battle-with-cancer-get-the/) [Devon Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-still/) > [ I don't feel the need to brand myself in that way \[social media\]. But as a means to share information and raise awareness of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-don-t-feel-the-need-to-brand-myself-in-that-way-social-media-but-as/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) ## More by Tom Hayden > [I'm not ready to give you a clear answer on whether electoral politics holds any particular hope for progressives. It would mean that nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/i-m-not-ready-to-give-you-a-clear-answer-on-whether-electoral/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [All my life I've been involved with racial politics. I was a Freedom Rider in the South. I was the author of books on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/all-my-life-i-ve-been-involved-with-racial-politics-i-was-a-freedom/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [The issue of civil rights was too much for the establishment to handle. One of the chapters of history that's least studied by historians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/the-issue-of-civil-rights-was-too-much-for-the-establishment-to/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [Ive written a book on gangs, taught a course on gangs at Occidental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/ive-written-a-book-on-gangs-taught-a-course-on-gangs-at-occidental/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [Fonda was neither wrong nor unconscionable in what she said and did in North Vietnam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/fonda-was-neither-wrong-nor-unconscionable-in-what-she-said-and-did/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [The peace and justice movement has to expand and not run away from the plight of gang members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/the-peace-and-justice-movement-has-to-expand-and-not-run-away-from/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [Our crime was that we were beginning to live a new and contagious life-style without official authorization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/our-crime-was-that-we-were-beginning-to-live-a-new-and-contagious/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [ Then you have \[Donald\] Trump. So it could be the tightest, most hazardous race in political history and we can't afford to allow Trump… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/then-you-have-donald-trump-so-it-could-be-the-tightest-most-hazardous/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [A silent majority and government by the people is incompatible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/a-silent-majority-and-government-by-the-people-is-incompatible/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [ We're looking at a quandary here where Bernie's \[Sanders\] the winner on a moral and even a political basis. He's made history, and she's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/we-re-looking-at-a-quandary-here-where-bernie-s-sanders-the-winner-on/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [Vietnam is unique of all the countries in the world, I believe, in having the longest continuous struggle against foreign aggression of any country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/vietnam-is-unique-of-all-the-countries-in-the-world-i-believe-in/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [He led quite a great life, ... He was an Old Testament figure railing against the establishment - a Jewish guy from New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/he-led-quite-a-great-life-he-was-an-old-testament-figure-railing/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [Already this war on gangs in California is taking money from universities to build prisons, and the universities have some clout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/already-this-war-on-gangs-in-california-is-taking-money-from/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [Most centrist Democrats... try to distance themselves from controversies that recall the 1960s. There are journalistic centrists as well, who avoid hard truths for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/most-centrist-democrats-try-to-distance-themselves-from-controversies/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [ I was in the category of people who thought that his \[Bernie Sanders \]campaign was worthy, even noble and it would push Hillary \[Clinton\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/i-was-in-the-category-of-people-who-thought-that-his-bernie-sanders/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) [Explore all 38 Tom Hayden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) ## More Clinton quotes > [There's more than 1700 emails out of the thirty three thousand Hillary Clinton emails that we've published, just about Libya. It's not that Libya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/there-s-more-than-1700-emails-out-of-the-thirty-three-thousand/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [You can criticize Trump and his wealth all day long, but you can't say he hasn't worked. You can say that about the Clintons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/you-can-criticize-trump-and-his-wealth-all-day-long-but-you-can-t-say/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [How do you, on the one hand, not object to Hillary Clinton being elected, and then, on the other hand, tell people, "Elect me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/how-do-you-on-the-one-hand-not-object-to-hillary-clinton-being/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [All my life I've been involved with racial politics. I was a Freedom Rider in the South. I was the author of books on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/all-my-life-i-ve-been-involved-with-racial-politics-i-was-a-freedom/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I didn't do anything for Russia. I've done nothing for Russia. Hillary Clinton gave them 20% of our uranium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-didn-t-do-anything-for-russia-i-ve-done-nothing-for-russia-hillary/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I absolutely trust Hillary Clinton to stand strong on trade agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrod-brown/i-absolutely-trust-hillary-clinton-to-stand-strong-on-trade-agreements/) [Sherrod Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrod-brown/) > [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Yet they tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-more-wars-today-under-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-than/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Hillary Clinton is the least popular candidate for president ever except for Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-pickering/hillary-clinton-is-the-least-popular-candidate-for-president-ever/) [Charlie Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-pickering/) > [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/) > [Why can't we have a voice? What's the difference between an athlete having millions or Donald Trump? Every time a politician talks, they talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/why-can-t-we-have-a-voice-what-s-the-difference-between-an-athlete/) [Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/) > [Hillary Clinton's been around for 30 years. Why do these stories need to be told? It isn't all of this widely known?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/hillary-clinton-s-been-around-for-30-years-why-do-these-stories-need/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I happen to think that Hillary Clinton is a beacon of hope for younger girls, as was Barack Obama in other inspirational areas. We've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-meneses/i-happen-to-think-that-hillary-clinton-is-a-beacon-of-hope-for/) [Alex Meneses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-meneses/) > [If you're going to run for president as the anti-Clinton, you should know that Democrats and their media friends will do whatever it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gigot/if-you-re-going-to-run-for-president-as-the-anti-clinton-you-should/) [Paul Gigot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gigot/) [Browse all 2,917 Clinton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was gonna be a race [2016] that set a foundation for the Left in the future. But given the math, I didn't think he was gonna make it. 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