Backroom dealings? American Federation of Teachers endorsement may hurt Hillary Clinton
The union, part of the AFL-CIO, violated an understanding to not endorse candidates before July 30
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has secured the biggest endorsement in the 2016 campaign so far by landing the official thumbs-up of the American Federation of Teachers. The AFT, which represents some 1.6 million educators, is the first national union to endorse a presidential candidate during this cycle. While Clinton essentially had a lock on the union's endorsement, she may actually end up in hot water over it.
You see, the AFT was not supposed to endorse until July 30 at the earliest.According to Politico, the AFT is a member of the ALF-CIO organization of 56 national and international unions and was part of an unambiguous understanding to wait until July 30 to endorse. By jumping the gun, the AFT puts scrutiny on Clinton. Additional controversy comes from the fact that the AFT's president, Randi Weingarten, is a longtime close friend of Hillary Clinton. Even more controversy arrives due to the timing of the early endorsement: It comes as Bernie Sanders is surging in popularity...especially among labor unions.
Did Clinton and Weingarten override the rules to hand Clinton an early, powerful endorsement to counter the rise of Bernie Sanders?
While Clinton herself may have had nothing to do with the early endorsement, and her supporters will undoubtedly roll their eyes at the suggestion of impropriety, the real damage in the AFT early endorsement is that it highlights a notorious Clinton weakness: Trust. Many voters struggle to trust Hillary Clinton, meaning the possibility of impropriety could be devastating.
Compared to populist rival Bernie Sanders, Clinton is seen as a bit of a backroom dealer. She is secretive, willing to compromise, and has been Backroom dealings? American Federation of Teachers endorsement may hurt Hillary Clinton | US Politics | The News Hub: