The Hillary Clinton campaign has learned a valuable lesson over the past twenty-four hours: those who wish to create a social media wave must beware of the tide rolling the other way.
What Clinton’s team started as a defense to Sanders’ implications that she may not be qualified to be President of the United States quickly turned sour for the former Secretary of State. #HillarySoQualified has garnered some very positive tweets from her many supporters. However, her detractors quickly hijacked the social media effort and turned the tide against the Democratic front runner.
Not quite sure just what #HillarySoQualified for, but it CAN'T be anything good! pic.twitter.com/WWRgWTinwx
— Voice Of Indie (@VoiceOfIndie) April 7, 2016
Her primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, had been feeling the heat lately for his flop during an interview with the editorial board of the NY Daily News. Then came attacks from Clinton regarding Sanders recent declaration as a Democrat (he was a declared Independent for his last several Senate campaigns). Sanders fired back on the former Senator from NY’s credentials for the highest seat in the land:
“Let me just say in response to Secretary Clinton, I don’t believe that she is qualified if she is through her super PAC taking tens of millions of dollars in special-interest money. I don’t think you are qualified if you get $15 million through Wall Street for your super PAC.”
https://twitter.com/WhichhHilllary/status/718084513398710272
More than a few tweets her critics posted pointed out that Clinton’s campaign in 2008 attacked Barack Obama with the same reasoning. Although it would be repeated more feverishly by his Republican opponent in the general election, the first suggestions that Obama was not ready for the Oval Office came from Hillary’s people.
#HillarySoQualified to get things done! pic.twitter.com/bQGlw1vwm3
— ?Ⓥ SarahRRunge (@TwoOneSix216) April 7, 2016
While her team obviously hoped this would turn into a surging social media trend in her favor, now they have to wish it would just go away. One thing that Hillary has going for her is that Donald Trump remains relevant. The GOP’s leading candidate has had no trouble dominating social media with the crazy, outrageous, and just stupid things he’s said.
Team Hillary has to be waiting anxiously for Trump to get his Twitter back on.
Featured image via Getty/Andrew Renneisen
