13/11/2016

HillaryClintonBlamesF.B.I.DirectorforElectionLossTheNewYorkTimes

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ELECTION2016

HillaryClintonBlamesF.B.I.Director
forElectionLoss
ByAMYCHOZICK

NOV.12,2016

HillaryClintononSaturdaycastblameforhersurpriseelectionlossonthe
announcementbytheF.B.I.director,JamesB.Comey,daysbeforetheelection
thathehadrevivedtheinquiryintoheruseofaprivateemailserver.
InhermostextensiveremarkssincesheconcededtheracetoDonaldJ.
TrumpearlyWednesday,Mrs.Clintontolddonorsona30minuteconference
callthatMr.ComeysdecisiontosendalettertoCongressabouttheinquiry11
daysbeforeElectionDayhadthrustthecontroversybackintothenewsandhad
preventedherfromendingthecampaignwithanoptimisticclosingargument.
Therearelotsofreasonswhyanelectionlikethisisnotsuccessful,Mrs.
Clintonsaid,accordingtoadonorwhorelayedtheremarks.But,sheadded,our
analysisisthatComeysletterraisingdoubtsthatweregroundless,baseless,
proventobe,stoppedourmomentum.
Mrs.ClintonsaidasecondletterfromMr.Comey,clearingheronceagain,
whichcametwodaysbeforeElectionDay,hadbeenevenmoredamaging.Inthat
letter,Mr.Comeysaidanexaminationofanewtroveofemails,whichhadbeen
foundonthecomputerofAnthonyD.Weiner,theestrangedhusbandofoneof
hertopaides,hadnotcausedhimtochangehisearlierconclusionthatMrs.
Clintonshouldfacenochargesoverherhandlingofclassifiedinformation.
Hercampaignsaidtheseeminglypositiveoutcomehadonlyhurtitwithvoters
whodidnottrustMrs.ClintonandwerereceptivetoMr.Trumpsclaimsofa

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HillaryClintonBlamesF.B.I.DirectorforElectionLossTheNewYorkTimes

riggedsystem.Inparticular,whitesuburbanwomenwhohadbeenonthefence
wereremindedoftheemailimbroglioandbrokedecidedlyinMr.Trumpsfavor,
aidessaid.
Afterleadinginpollsinmanybattlegroundstates,Mrs.Clintontoldthe
donorsonSaturday,wedropped,andwehadtokeepreallypushingtoregain
ouradvantage,whichgoingintolastweekendwehad.
Wewereonceagainupinallbuttwoofthebattlegroundstates,andwe
wereupconsiderablyinsomethatweendeduplosing,Mrs.Clintonsaid.And
wewerefeelinglikewehadtoputitbacktogether.
Presidentialcandidateshavealonghistoryofblamingforcesoutsidetheir
controlfortheirlosses.In2004,JohnKerrylinkedhisdefeattoavideotapeof
OsamabinLadenthatappeareddaysbeforetheelection,stokingfearsabout
terrorism.In2012,MittRomneytolddonorshehadlostbecausePresident
ObamahadvowedtobestowgiftsonDemocraticspecialinterestsgroups,
namelyAfricanAmericans,Hispanicsandyoungpeople.
Mrs.Clintonscontentionappearstobemorerootedinrealityandhard
data.Aninternalcampaignmemowithpollingdatasaidthatthereisno
questionthataweekfromElectionDay,SecretaryClintonwaspoisedfora
historicwin,butthat,intheend,latebreakingdevelopmentsintheraceproved
onehurdletoomanyforustoovercome.
Mrs.Clintonlostnarrowlyinseveralbattlegroundstates,andbythetimeall
ballotsarecounted,sheappearspoisedtowinthepopularvotebymorethantwo
millionvotes.
Still,Mrs.Clintonsinstincttoshunanypersonalresponsibilityangered
someDemocrats.Severaldonorsonthecall,whiledeeplybitteraboutMr.
Comeysactions,saidtheybelievedthatMrs.Clintonandhercampaignhad
sufferedavoidablemisstepsthathandedtheelectiontoanunacceptable
opponent.Theypointedtothecampaignslackofacompellingmessageforwhite
workingclassvotersandtodecisionsyearsagobyMrs.Clintontouseaprivate
emailaddressattheStateDepartmentandtoacceptmillionsofdollarsfor
speechestoWallStreet.

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HillaryClintonBlamesF.B.I.DirectorforElectionLossTheNewYorkTimes

ThereisaspecialplaceinhellforClintonstaff,allegedlyincludingCheryl
Mills,thatokayedtheemailserversetup,JimManley,aDemocraticstrategist
andformersenioraidetoSenatorHarryReidofNevada,wroteonSidewire,a
socialmediasite,referringtoalongtimeaideandlawyertoMrs.Clinton.
Mrs.Clintonscampaignwassoconfidentinhervictorythatheraides
poppedopenChampagneonthecampaignplaneearlyTuesday.Butthat
conviction,aideswouldlaterlearn,wasbasedlargelyonerroneousdatashowing
thatyoung,blackandLatinovotersandsuburbanwomenwhohadbeenturned
offbyMr.TrumpscommentsbutviewedMrs.Clintonunfavorablywouldturn
outforherinhighernumbersthantheyultimatelydid.
ExitpollsconductedbyEdisonResearchfoundthatamongpeoplewhosaid
theyhaddecidedinthefinalweekbeforeElectionDay,47percentvotedforMr.
Trumpand42percentforMrs.Clinton.
AsearlyasWednesdaymorning,aidesbegantoexplaintoDemocratsshaken
bythelossthatthecampaignssophisticateddatamodelinghadnottakeninto
accountthebombshellF.B.I.announcement.

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HillaryClintonBlamesF.B.I.DirectorforElectionLossTheNewYorkTimes

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Mr.ComeysletterstoCongresswentagainsttheF.B.I.slongstanding
traditionofavoidingdecisionsthatcouldaffectelections,buthetoldaidesthathe
felthehadnochoicebecausehehadalreadyweighedinonthecasesopublicly.
InJuly,hehadtakentheunusualstepofpubliclyannouncingthattheF.B.I.
wouldnotchargeMrs.Clinton.
Atthetime,shebelievedshehadfinallyputtheissuetorest.Andafterthe
finaldebateonOct.19inLasVegas,sheemergedinsuchastrongpositionthat
shebegantofocusoncampaigningfordownballotDemocratsandplanneda
campaignstopintraditionallyRepublicanArizona.
Wefeltsogoodaboutwherewewere,Mrs.Clintontolddonors.BeforeMr.
ComeysfirstlettertoCongress,sheadded,wejusthadarealwindatourback.
Mr.Trumpseizedontheletter,tellingvotersinNevadatheSaturdaybefore
ElectionDaythattheF.B.I.hasreopeneditscriminalinvestigationintoHillary
Clinton,andthatthematterwouldgrindgovernmenttoahaltshouldMrs.
ClintonwintheWhiteHouse.TheF.B.I.sexaminationofthenewemailsdidnot
infactreopentheinvestigation.
DemocraticpollstersattributedMr.Trumpslaserthinvictoriesin
Pennsylvania,MichiganandWisconsinstatesthatPresidentObamahadwon
largelytoadriftingofcollegeeducatedsuburbanwomentotheRepublican
nomineeatthelastminute,becauseoftherenewedfocusonMrs.Clintonsemail
server.
Welostwithcollegeeducatedwhitesafterleadingwiththemallsummer,a
Clintonspokesman,BrianFallon,saidonWednesday.Fivemoredaysof
remindersaboutComey,andtheygravitatedbacktoTrump.

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HillaryClintonBlamesF.B.I.DirectorforElectionLossTheNewYorkTimes

BeforeMrs.ClintonspokeonSaturday,herfinancedirector,DennisCheng,
thankedthedonorsonthecall,eachofwhomhadraisedatleast$100,000.The
campaignbroughtinnearly$1billiontospendheavilyondataefforts,todisperse
hundredsofstaffmemberstobattlegroundstates,andtoairtelevision
advertisementsonlytofallshorttoMr.Trumpsupstartoperation.
Donorsconcededthat,ultimately,noamountofmoneycouldmatchMr.
Trumpscrisppitch,aimedattheeconomicallydowntrodden,tomakeAmerica
greatagain.
Youcanhavethegreatestfieldprogram,andwedidhehadnothing,said
JayS.Jacobs,aprominentNewYorkDemocratanddonortoMrs.Clinton.You
canhavebetterads,paidforbygreaterfunds,andwedid.Unfortunately,Trump
hadthewinningargument.
Mrs.ClintonhaskeptalowprofilesinceherconcessionspeechataMidtown
ManhattanhotelonWednesday.OnThursday,ayoungmotherwithher13
montholddaughterspottedMrs.Clintonwalkingherdogsnearherhomein
Chappaqua,N.Y.,postingaphotoofthedefeatedcandidateonFacebookthat
quicklywentviralalongwiththehashtag#ImStillWithHer.
OnFridaynight,Mrs.Clintonthankedvolunteersonanationwide
conferencecall.Look,Imnotgoingtosugarcoatit,shesaid,sighing.These
havebeenvery,verytoughdays.
GetpoliticsandWashingtonnewsupdatesviaFacebook,Twitterandinthe
MorningBriefingnewsletter.
AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonNovember13,2016,onpageA1oftheNewYorkedition
withtheheadline:ClintonBlamesF.B.I.DirectorforHerDefeat.

2016TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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