Winning with a ‘Young Underdog’

If Republicans hope to win the White House in 2016 they should consider the success enjoyed by Democrats in winning four of the last six presidential elections.

In each of those winning races, the Democrats nominated candidates – Bill Clinton and Barack Obama – who might be described as “young underdogs.” The 46-year-old Clinton and the 47-year-old Obama both came from dysfunctional family backgrounds that presented dramatic obstacles to their advancement. In contrast, their Republican opponents were each in their sixties, and, except for Bob Dole in 1996, came from prominent, elite backgrounds: as sons of a Senator, a top Navy Admiral, and a wealthy Governor.

This year, the GOP could turn the tables – nominating their own young underdog from among the many potential candidates to take on Hillary Clinton, the ultimate multimillionaire Washington insider who would be 69 on taking office. That’s a precious and rare opportunity Republican primary voters should consider before making their decisions.