--- title: Hillary Clinton's Campaign Is Not the Most Liberal in History description: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's positions today are, without exception, entirely in line with mainstream public opinion. canonical: https://time.com/3882496/hillary-clinton-liberal-issues-mainstream-polling/ author: Haley Sweetland Edwards article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-18T18:07:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:42:31.339Z article:section: Politics og:title: Why Hillary Clinton's Campaign Isn't the Most Liberal Ever og:description: Pundits calling her campaign "boldly liberal" are overlooking two things. og:url: https://time.com/3882496/hillary-clinton-liberal-issues-mainstream-polling/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f7b16851d821de7/69884d063c16391f94457910/hillary-clinton-21.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at Rancho High School in Las Vegas on May 5, 2015. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Hillary Clinton's Campaign Isn't the Most Liberal Ever twitter:description: Pundits calling her campaign "boldly liberal" are overlooking two things. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f7b16851d821de7/69884d063c16391f94457910/hillary-clinton-21.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Hillary Clinton's Campaign Isn't the Most Liberal Ever > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9d7c8902-9471-4762-adc8-269c27387da4&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Hillary Clinton's Top 10 Political Moments [Watch (HLS stream): Hillary Clinton's Top 10 Political Moments](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/L3I0gpwt.m3u8) (1:49)  _Published 2015-04-09. Watch the top 10 moments from Hillary Clinton's career in politics._  by [Haley Sweetland Edwards](https://time.com/author/haley-sweetland-edwards/)  ## Haley Sweetland Edwards May 18, 2015 6:07 PM UTC  Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at Rancho High School in Las Vegas on May 5, 2015. Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at Rancho High School in Las Vegas on May 5, 2015. Ethan Miller—Getty Images  by [Haley Sweetland Edwards](https://time.com/author/haley-sweetland-edwards/)  ## Haley Sweetland Edwards May 18, 2015 6:07 PM UTC A number of Beltway pundits have recently decided that Hillary Clinton is not just running a liberal campaign, but perhaps [the most liberal campaign](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/running-to-the-left-hillary-clinton-is-banking-on-the-obama-coalition-to-win/2015/05/17/33b7844a-fb28-11e4-9ef4-1bb7ce3b3fb7%5Fstory.html) in decades. But that’s not entirely accurate. Just as you can’t step into the same river twice, no presidential campaign ever faces the same electorate. And on a range of issues, America has become more liberal since the last time Clinton ran. Without exception, the positions that have been cited as “boldly liberal” are entirely in line with mainstream public opinion. Take gay marriage, which Clinton [endorsed in 2013](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/TheNote/hillary-clinton-endorses-gay-marriage/story?id=18755043). As of last year, 6 in 10 Americans—and a whopping [74% of Democrats](http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/03/09/support-for-gay-marriage-hits-all-time-high-wsjnbc-news-poll/)—were in favor of it too, according to a recent NBC/_Wall Street Journal_ poll. Or immigration. Last week, Clinton was [congratulated by many liberals](http://www.npr.org/2015/05/08/405260393/clintons-bold-immigration-plan-leaves-republicans-nearly-speechless) for backing a broad path to citizenship for roughly 11 million undocumented people. But in an NBC/WSJ poll last fall, [60% of Americans](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/11/20/americans-strongly-support-a-path-to-citizenship-that-means-less-than-you-think/) were in favor of a “path to citizenship” and nearly [75% were even more in favor](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/wsjnbcpoll11192014.pdf) of it if the plan involved asking immigrants to jump through certain hoops, such as paying back taxes. Or criminal justice reform. Last week, Clinton [called for reforming sentencing laws](http://www.slate.com/articles/news%5Fand%5Fpolitics/crime/2015/05/hillary%5Fclinton%5Fbaltimore%5Fspeech%5Fthe%5Fcandidate%5Fembraces%5Fpolice%5Freform%5Fand.html) and reducing how much military-grade equipment is funneled off to police departments. But as of last year, that’s pretty much exactly where most Americans were, too: [63% ](http://www.people-press.org/2014/04/02/americas-new-drug-policy-landscape/) were against mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent crimes, according to Pew Research, and nearly [60% thought militarization of police had gone too far](http://reason.com/poll/2013/12/17/56-percent-say-police-departments-usin2). The same is true on other socially liberal issues that Clinton has backed lately, much to the delight of the liberal base, including better [gun control measures](http://thehill.com/regulation/other/239934-hillarys-2016-bid-energizes-supporters-of-gun-control), a [minimum wage increase](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/15/hillary-clinton-minimum-wage%5Fn%5F7075258.html), and [paid family leave](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/11/hillary-clinton-paid-family-leave-mothers-day%5Fn%5F7257370.html). As of 2013, [91% of Americans](http://www.gallup.com/poll/160085/americans-back-obama-proposals-address-gun-violence.aspx) supported mandating criminal background checks before someone is allowed to purchase a weapon, and 60% supported reinstating a ban on assault weapons, according to Gallup. Roughly two-thirds of Americans are now in favor of raising the minimum wage and 60% believe that employers ought to give paid time-off to employees when they’re sick, according to [a February AP-GfK poll](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/53103552a966447d9f3d543ba869d080/ap-gfk-poll-most-americans-favor-higher-minimum-wage). In early May, liberal activist groups claimed victory after Clinton’s campaign manager, Robby Mook, hinted that the Democratic front-runner would soon announce a comprehensive plan to make college more affordable. But again, she’s right in line with most Americans. According to the Harvard Institute of Politics, [79% of Americans](http://www.iop.harvard.edu/student-debt-viewed-major-problem-financial-considerations-important-factor-most-millennials-when) described student debt as “a problem” that needs to be addressed. At the same time, Clinton has kept mum on some liberal ideas that are more divisive. She’s avoided taking a stance on President Obama’s [big new free trade deal](http://time.com/3824912/hillary-clinton-free-trade-tpp/), the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which many liberals have criticized. While she’s made some populist remarks about reining in Wall Street, she’s stopped short of getting specific on liberal ideas like capping CEO pay or breaking up the big banks. And she’s not taken a definitive stance on the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which has become a signature issue for environmentalists hoping to address climate change. It’s possible, then, to imagine a more liberal campaign than the one Clinton is running. And if seems like she has the most liberal campaign in history, that’s partly because she’s facing an America that is more liberal on those issues. ### Decoding Hillary Clinton's Campaign Photo Ops  Des Moines, IA - April 15: Hillary Clinton began her 2016 campaign by driving from her house in Chappaqua, N.Y., to Iowa in a van instead of flying, as she did in 2008. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  Marshalltown, IA - April 15: Clinton had coffee and spoke with customers during her first Iowa visit. Many of her advisors think she performs best in small groups with voters, so her campaign began with a carefully planned “listening tour." Michael B. Thomas—AFP/Getty Images  Monticello, IA - April 14: At a community college in Iowa, Clinton said exactly what the left wanted her to say. "There's something wrong when hedge fund managers pay lower tax rates than nurses or the truckers that I saw on I-80 as I was driving here," Clinton said. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  Keene, N.H. - April 20: Clinton’s first good baby photo-op came early in New Hampshire in the town of Keene. Her campaign has made multiple references to her new status as a grandmother. Lucas Jackson—Reuters  Keene, N.H. - April 20: Clinton visited a family-owned children’s furniture factory to talk small business and manufacturing. Planks of wood, stacked boxes and heavy machinery formed an ideal backdrop. Don Emmert—AFP/Getty Images  Keene, N.H. - April 20: Clinton chose a casual setting to brush off questions over the Clinton Foundation’s acceptance of donations during her time as secretary of state. She called allegations that she intervened on behalf of donors “distractions.” Don Emmert—AFP/Getty Images  Concord, N.H. - April 21: Clinton got a chance to talk student debt with young women at a community college in Concord, New Hampshire. “You cannot expect people to have that much debt and then be expected to pay it off,” she said. Andrew Burton—Getty Images  Concord, N.H. - April 21: Clinton paid her dues with a required visit for Democratic hopefuls in New Hampshire: a gathering at the home of 94-year-old former state Sen. Mary Louise Hancock, the so-called grand dame of New Hampshire politics. Jim Cole—AP  Las Vegas, NV - May 5: Clinton discussed immigration with a roundtable in Las Vegas, Nevada, a primary state with a heavy population of Hispanic immigrants, calling for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Mike Blake—Reuters ## Transcript You know, I'm not sittin' here some little woman standing here by my man like Tammy Wynette. I'm sittin' here because I love him, and I respect him. Now is our chance to beat the historical odds, and give the American people the health security they need. If there is one message that echoes forth from this. Let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for all. The great story here for anybody willing to find it and write about it and explain it is this vast right- wing conspiracy that has been conspiring. Against my husband since the day he announced for president. I would be happy to, when you give me the signed letters. Well, right here. Right here. When you give me. Right here. Sign it right now. We'll shake. We'll shake on this, Ray. No, no, I want your signature, cause I think that everybody wants to see you signing something that you said you were for. You know, I have so many opportunities from this country. I just don't wanna see us fall backwards. Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it. The battle to stop Al Qaeda and its affiliates. Does not end with one death. What difference, at this point, does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator. I took the unprecedented step of asking that the state department make all my work- related emails, [ MUSIC ] Public for everyone to see. 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