Will Scandal Sink Clinton’s Nomination? Probably not.

The Weekly Standard reports:

Historically, organized labor raised much of the party’s cash, but unions have collapsed. The major donors today are wealthy liberals (e.g. Hollywood) and government rent-seekers (e.g. trial lawyers and big banks). Their voting strength is not great, but their money makes them indispensable. In 2008, they split between Clinton and Obama.

Clinton’s coalition in 2008 -- anchored by the financiers, Latinos, and the white working class -- was too small to win. And it would again fall short against Obama’s coalition in a repeat next year. Still, Clinton is much stronger this cycle -- for two reasons.

First, the field is much weaker. Nobody who has expressed interest in the nomination has the potential to build the coalition Obama did. He united (half of) the financiers, upscale liberals, and African Americans -- an impressive sampling from diverse constituencies. Warren, Biden, Webb, etc. cannot rebuild this coalition, and it is hard to see how could they forge an alternative to challenge Clinton’s vote.

Another great article from Jay Cost.