What Message Will Iowa Send to Hillary?

In one year - January 21, 2017 - a newly inaugurated American President will be at work in the Oval Office on his first day on the job. And it is finally looking like it won't be Hillary Clinton. ~~~~~ NBC just reported, based on a document it obtained, that emails from Hillary Clinton's home server contained information classified at levels higher than previously known, including a level meant to protect some of the most sensitive US intelligence. In the document, a letter to lawmakers, the intelligence community's internal watchdog says some of Clinton's emails contained information classified "Top Secret/Special Access Program" -- a secrecy designation that includes some of the most closely held US intelligence matters. Two American intelligence officials told NBC these are not the same two Clinton emails already reported as containing Top Secret information. Clinton has repeatedly said none of the information she sent or received while Secretary of State was marked classified. But, NBC says : "it's become clear that classified information bled in the emails, which were sent over unencrypted channels open to interception by foreign intelligence agencies." The letter by Charles McCulllough, the intelligence community inspector general, was sent to the chairmen of the Senate Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees to explain that he had received sworn declarations from an intelligence agency he didn't name, showing that "several dozen emails containing classified information determined by the IC element to be at the CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET and TOP SECRET/SAP information" levels were found. An intelligence official told NBC the Special Access Program is so sensitive that McCullough and some of his aides had to receive clearance before viewing the sworn declaration about the Clinton emails. ~~~~~ In addition, a new CNN/WMUR poll puts Bernie Sanders up by 27 points over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. The poll gives Sanders much better numbers than other polls do, but all recent surveys in New Hampshire make Sanders the favorite to win the February 9 Democrat primary. And, Sanders has skyrocketing favorability ratings. The CNN/WMUR poll finds 91% of likely New Hampshire Democrat primary voters view him favorably, compared to only 7% who view him unfavorably. If that's true, there's nothing Clinton can do to beat Sanders in New Hampshire. ~~~~~ Iowa's likely Democratic primary voters are evenly split between Clinton and Sanders, with 2 points either way separating them. This, and New Hampshire polls widely favoring Sanders, might be explained by Fred Barnes' comment in the Wall Street Journal yesterday : "Presidential races are about the future and Hillary Clinton is stuck in the past. That pretty much explains why her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 has slumped. Mrs. Clinton is not attuned to the political situation she faces. Her experience, family and fame aren’t much help. This year, angry voters have turned increasingly to populist, anti-establishment and future-oriented candidates. As a status quo candidate, she doesn’t fit the moment." ~~~~~ Faced with losing both Iowa and New Hampshire to Senator Sanders, Hillary has turned to South Carolina -- where polls have her ahead of Sanders, 69% to 27% -- to build 'a firewall' of African-American support in that state and beyond by lining up solidly with President Obama. But, despite Hillary's huge poll leads with African-Americans, an unnamed influential black Democrat told NBC : "In an election year when just about every narrative, every piece of conventional wisdom, has been turned on its head, I’m at a loss for words when the media talk about a firewall. There is no wall, no more.” ~~~~~ Dear readers, Hillary may be wrong thinking that siding with President Obama will help her. Obama wasted his opportunity to improve conditions for African-Americans, who lag all other US groups in wages, employment and education -- Bernie Sanders' lifelong agenda items. And, Hillary has a criminal indictment hanging over her. Watch for Iowa's message.