The American people are evidently conflicted about whether or not Hillary Clinton is a candidate of the 20th or 21st century.
According to a CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday, 50 percent of adult Americans believe Clinton to be representative of the future. However, an almost equal percentage — 48 percent — deem her indicative of the past.
The survey asked respondents to decide whether or not seven likely 2016 presidential candidates — three Democrats and four Republicans — more accurately represent the future or the past, and Clinton won the highest “future” percentage among all other included politicians.
However, it remains important that a nearly equal percentage view 67-year-old Clinton as a candidate of the past, a view that has been expressed both by potential Clinton challengers and by Hillary supporters.
Only one other candidate in the poll — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — was labeled more “future” than “past.” While 37 percent put Warren in the past, 46 percent say she represents the future.
Vice President Joe Biden, the last Democrat in the poll, sits at the wrong end of the timeline, as 64 percent label him “past” and only 33 percent “future.” Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) achieves identical numbers despite being a decade younger.
The other GOP candidates were all close in their “future” rating, with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker snagging 39 percent “future” and 42 percent “past,” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul 41 percent “future” and 49 percent “past,” and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie 43 percent “future” and 50 percent “past.”
Walker, then, is the only Republican contender who is viewed as less of a “past” candidate than Clinton. Ironically, the 47-year-old Wisconsin governor himself labeled the former secretary of State a “20th century” candidate earlier this month.
It’s also important to note that all GOP candidates considered in the poll are at least five years Clinton’s junior. And, when Bush is removed from the equation, the remaining three Republicans are each at least 15 years younger than Hillary.
Of course, youth isn’t everything, as President Obama has demonstrated, yet the risk of a politician dragging what Marco Rubio might call “20th century relics” into the White House likely increases with age.
The poll was conducted between February 12 and 15 and involved 1,027 American adults.
