Sarah Palin's endorsement of Donald Trump was seen as a coup by those who expect it to boost his popularity among Tea Party voters in Iowa. Others saw it as pandering to a not-so-desirable audience (to put it generously.) But "Security Mom" host Juliette Kayyem believes it says something else: that a sizeable percentage of Trump voters are concerned about homeland security.
Kayyem points to poll numbers that suggest the "Security Mom" demographic is back —and that women concerned that the Obama Administration hasn't handled terrorism threats well will shift over to the GOP.
If anyone plays well with Security Moms, it's Sarah Palin.
"She's tough," Kayyem said. "People like that toughness."
In other words, if Democrats want to hold on to the White House in 2016, they have to not only confront the security debate head on, but "own" it.
"You're not going to hide from the security debate, so you better own it," Kayyem said. "You can blame cable news or Donald Trump for making it a security election, but people are feeling an anxiousness that has to be addressed by Democrats. Because in the vacuum of silence, people like Donald Trump walk in."
Juliette Kayyem is a security expert and host of the "Security Mom" podcast from WGBH News. To hear more from her interview, tune in above.
