Michael Barbaro's article "Charles Koch Says He Could Possibly Support Hillary Clinton" was published by the New York Times on April 24, 2016. In an interview with ABC's Jonathan Karl, Koch, an infamously Republican businessman, said that he would be open to supporting Hillary Clinton because he was not happy with what the Republican candidates were saying, especially with their immigration and foreign policy stances. Clinton quickly responded with a tweet saying that she would not be interested in an endorsement from someone who does not believe in global warming and who makes it harder for people to vote. However, this is still a major blow to the Republican candidates because it is just one example of how they are losing their previously steadfast supporters. Additionally, Koch used to provide major financial support to the Republican party and without these funds, it is harder to run campaigns.
This story reminds me of political machines during the Gilded Age. People like William "Boss" Tweed used to hold major political clout and ultimately decided elections. Now, I do not know how much Koch's opinion is going to influence the opinion of the common American, but I do think that a lot of other wealthy Republicans are thinking the same things as him and are also debating supporting Clinton. Although I understand where Clinton was coming from when she responded to the possible endorsement, I do not think it was smart of her to do so. Now, these wealthy Republicans are more likely to remain with their party, and if she wants to win, she might have wanted those extra votes and the extra money. It will be interesting to see who the Republican nomination goes to and how the rest of this election turns out.
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/04/24/charles-koch-says-he-could-possibly-support-hillary-clinton/?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
I would not have expected Koch to say that. It would make me feel worse to be for someone that one of the Koch brothers are for. I think your analysis is an interesting take on it. Maybe there will be consequences for Clinton rejecting the support.
ReplyDelete- Isabella Montague