"What’s clear is that a lot of white voters thought Clinton didn’t like them very much — and her describing them as “deplorables” didn’t help...."
To use a fondly used by them, right wing slur: What a bunch of fragile, whiny snowflakes.
"Waaah, she doesn't like us! She won't coddle our bigotry! We'll take the offensive, unqualified, wealthy white guy and then whine about "Affirmative Action" for blacks outta the other side of our mouths! Waaah!"
Fuck Them. Yeah, I said it.
There are two instances I identify where Hillary lost - When she didn't give in to her impulse to tell Trump, when he was stalking her on that debate stage, "Back off, you Creep!" Hillary herself says that in her book "What Happened", but I didn't need her to tell me that. I knew watching the debate when I was silently screaming at the TV to tell her to Back. Him. Off. He would have done so, revealing him to be the cowardly, ignorant asshole he is.
And I truly believe that would have gained her votes.
James Comey's letter. Iirc, 538 said that their research showed that during that last, after the letter, there was a slight, yet unmistakable shift away from Hillary that made a difference
Repugs are experts at exploiting ingrained American misogyny. If you want to know who Repugs recognize as tough, smart, productive, skilled Democratic women, look to who they demonize, Exhibits "A" and "B" being Clinton and Speaker Pelosi.
Hillary's campaign deserves some blame, too. Iirc, there were inside reports that Bill Clinton was warning the team at least 3 or 4 months before November that his super-human, political antennae were picking up distress signals coming from WI, Michigan and Penn and that the team needed to re-calibrate her schedule.
And all the reasons every else pointed out here, too.
I type the following, though, with self-reflection and blame, too. As Democrats, we too, rejected Hillary. We did so in 2008, for the attractive, exciting, charismatic new guy in the classroom. I disliked Cokie Roberts but she did have a point when she said that Hillary is like the earnest, smart, disciplined 7th grader running for class president who everybody knows should be elected and then along comes this new, cute, popular guy who everybody votes for instead.
So, we ourselves, as Democrats once rejected Hillary. Why then should we be surprised when voters, at large did so, too?
I know I've been contradictory here.
I do know, however, with all my heart and mind, that this country made a monumental mistake by not granting the job of POTUS to Hillary Clinton. She would have been a superb one.