One of the worst mistakes a politician can make is to come across as smug — dismissing or disrespecting voters.The conventional wisdom holds that Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” line in 2016 and Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” remark in 2012 were fatal missteps. .memberful-global-teaser-content p:last-child{ -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); } Join now to continue reading.Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.