Labeling herself as a "capitalist" likely hurt her with Democratic voters during the 2016 primaries, Hillary Clinton said Wednesday.
At a Shared Value Leadership Summit in New York City, the former Democratic presidential nominee was asked if the declaration damaged her with Democrats, 43 percent of whom identify as socialists, according to Fortune.
"Probably," she replied.
"It's hard to know, but I mean if you're in the Iowa caucuses and 41 percent of Democrats are socialists or self-described socialists, and I'm asked 'Are you a capitalist?' and I say, 'Yes, but with appropriate regulation and appropriate accountability,' you know, that probably gets lost in the 'Oh my gosh, she's a capitalist!'" Clinton said, per The Daily Beast.
The news outlet reported Clinton appeared, at least in part, to be referring to the popularity of her primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who ran as a self-declared democratic socialist — and went on to win the first 2016 primary in New Hampshire, among other states.
"The reputation of capitalism is pretty much in tatters for young people," she added, Fortune reported.
"I support hard work, risk-taking, and entrepreneurial energy," she added, saying the current system is out of balance, with too much power tipping "toward biggest companies with most influence."
"They're disrupting our democracy," she asserted, Fortune reported.
That some CEOs are paid 200 times more than their median workers is "not OK," she said, because the system of capitalism depends on trust, which "holds the democratic market economy and the political system together" and pay disparities erode that trust.
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