One of Hillary Clinton’s most frequent allusions to her middle-class roots illustrates her father’s humble profession working with silk screens. More recently, she appealed to the middle class in an op-ed by describing the lessons she learned as “a mother who works.” Simply put, since Clinton cannot truly relate to the middle class population, she merges her appeals with stories and memories of family with which everyone can relate.
The truth is that Clinton has been out of touch with the middle class lifestyle for over 25 years. This disparity continues to grow as both Hillary and Bill continue to reap the benefits of their powerful positions, evidenced especially by their 2014 Tax Returns. Giving speeches at an average fee of $210,795 is a far cry from squeegeeing silk screens with her father.
With regard to the title, I must point out the irony that Clinton touts her relatability to the middle-class in a wardrobe valued at around $200,000.
All kidding aside however, the power of Clinton’s strategic combination of family values and middle class values is evidenced through her current popularity. Though the narratives of working at her father’s business and living humbly as a new mother in Little Rock are irrelevant to the current election, they still resonate with voters and give Clinton a degree of traction over Trump. As far as tax brackets and annual earnings are concerned, Clinton and Trump are more similar than they are different. Nevertheless, it is the crafty rhetoric illustrating an honest, middle-class upbringing that enables Clinton to make voters think otherwise.