To be fair, the 90s crime bill(s) was passed near the height of the crime wave in the 90s. Everyone was calling for stricter enforcement, even many African American communities. The murder rate back then was literally about 2x higher than it is today. So we now have the benefit of 20 years of hindsight to see the damage those tough on crime bills ended up exacerbating the situation.
It wasn’t until recently where it is thought that the removal of lead from gasoline is what has lead to the steady reduction of violent crime. Freakonomics (the book) surmised that Roe v Wade is what lead to the reduction of crime, making abortion legal. (It may still have had some effect, but the environmental lead seems to be the smoking gun.)
But yes, there are lots of other examples of his Neo-Liberal politics which may make him unpopular in peoples’ eyes.
