The Clinton name comes with strong connotations of scandal, and this past week just added to it with the latest email snafu about Huma Abedin’s emails being on Anthony Weiner’s computer. Even if there was no criminal activity, the announcement of an investigation so close to Election Day creates doubt. Although Election Day is tomorrow, these scandals will linger long after, perhaps throughout a Hillary Clinton presidency.
The people who don’t read past a headline may have already made up their minds that Clinton is inseparable from scandal and crime, even if they don’t fully understand the situation. According to an article by Matthew Yglesias for Vox.com, “network newscasts have, remarkably, dedicated more airtime to coverage of Clinton’s emails than to all policy issues combined.”
Because of the murkiness surrounding Clinton, undecided voters might not think their vote makes much of a difference. Voters who might have voted for Clinton just because she’s not Trump may find less of an incentive to make it to the polls.
It seems Clinton will be president even though many of her votes are not enthusiastic votes but rather “not Trump” votes. Unlike President Barack Obama, who had the enthusiastic support of college students, Clinton has not been as successful at courting a pro-Hillary vote. David Smith, in an article for The Guardian, wrote that Clinton is trailing Obama’s 2012 performance, as indicated by requests for early ballots. In recent weeks, Clinton has increasingly used celebrities and other surrogates to campaign for her to ramp up enthusiasm among young people, with “How to Get Away With Murder’s” Aja Naomi King touring several Florida universities last week. Clinton certainly isn’t the first presidential candidate to use celebrities to campaign on her behalf, but with lagging enthusiasm among young voters, it seems increasingly desperate.
Clinton may be elected president tomorrow, but that does not mean she has the full enthusiastic votes of people who believed she was the best candidate. Although there are always the voters who say they are picking between the lesser of two evils, this election seems to have increased this type of voter. This election does have enthusiastic voters, but they are more enthused by the democratic process than by a candidate — the fact that they are taking a stand at all in an election so polarizing is enough. People who ordinarily do not make political posts on Facebook will not hesitate to post a picture of themselves with an “I Voted” sticker and a caption about not voting for Trump. Generally, Trump voters seem enthusiastic that he will make a change, while Clinton voters are more spread out about their enthusiasm — with voters ranging from those who volunteer for the campaign to those who would vote third party if they didn’t live in a swing state — which is why the scandals so close to Election Day should not lull voters into complacency.
Whether it’s with enthusiasm or not, go out and vote. This election has too high-stakes for anyone to sit at home on Election Day or not cast an early ballot.
Nicole Dan is a UF political science and journalism junior. Her column appears on Mondays.
