Virginia Postrel, Columnist

Democrats' Chance to Be More Dynamic

Clinton can woo Republicans by embracing a more free-wheeling economy.

August 2, 2016 at 3:05 PM UTC

Virginia Postrel is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a visiting fellow at the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy at Chapman University and author, most recently, of “The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World.”

The party in motion.
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Donald Trump has given the Democratic Party a chance to expand its base. In nominating him for president, the Republican Party has rejected the open society of Reaganite ideals in favor of strongman governance, winner-take-all identity politics and zero-sum economics. Longtime Republican voters, as well as many independents, are looking for a new home.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are savvy enough to see the opportunity.