Election battles

Clinton backers turn squeamish

It was supposed to be different this time. After the wounds of 2008, many of them self-inflicted, Hillary Rodham Clinton rebooted for 2016 with a new message, new advisers and new energy.

But two dynamics have crystallized this month, suggesting the New Hillary is hobbled by old weaknesses. Once again, worried supporters see signs of a bunker mentality in response to bad news about her email server and other controversies, and a candidate who can seem strangely blinkered to the threat posed by a lesser-known challenger.