Most Democrats like Hillary Clinton.

[Unvanguard]

That's true both among general Democratic primary voters and among the party's elites (politicians, key donors, etc.) That is why she is the clear favorite to win the nomination. And because she started out with a huge advantage, other potential strong contenders sat out; they didn't want to fight and lose a primary race. That only made her advantage even greater, to the point where she probably does not have any credible opponents and is the presumptive Democratic nominee.

This isn't a claim about who you should and shouldn't support in the primary. It doesn't mean that Hillary Clinton will make a great president. Maybe she's popular among Democrats for bad reasons; maybe people don't know enough or don't care enough about her foreign policy views or her Wall Street connections or the other complaints some liberals have about her. But it's why the primary race looks the way it is. It wasn't a conspiracy and it wasn't forced on the Democratic Party by Clinton supporters. It is the natural result of a somewhat rare situation of having one candidate who is just far stronger electorally than the others. And it's a good reminder that opinions on DU are not necessarily representative of opinions among Democrats as a whole.

[NYC_SKP]

1. I guess that's why I relate more to the "Progressive" label. There have been some disappointing Ds.

[leveymg]

2. Most Democrats have been convinced TINA (there is no alternative). Congratulations.

Too bad that leaves us with a seriously compromised candidate with extremely high negatives going into it.

[Unvanguard]

3. I think you have cause and effect reversed.

If Clinton weren't popular, there would be an alternative.

[leveymg]

9. Clinton has about 50/50 positive-negatives, overall. That's not what I call popular.

Dems are only about 28% of the electorate. GOP identifieds are 23%. Independents are roughly 45%. Hillary has to convince most of the largest group to like her. They largely don't, and I honestly don't know how or why that will change.

Nobody is running against her on the D side because of her towering war chest and the staggering cost of running against her. On the other hand, R candidates are lined up along the block to run. What does that tell you?

[Unvanguard]

11. That's the population as a whole. I'm talking about Democrats.

Most independents are party leaners (there are very few true independents). Democrats and Democrat-leaners tend to like Clinton; that's going to generally be true of any Democrat on whom the public as a whole is split, since Republicans are going to be largely unfavorable about any Democrat except for exceptionally popular ones.

[leveymg]

27. It's the population at large that determines Presidential elections. Most are within a few points

High negatives among voters is an indication that she has to change a lot of Independent voters to start liking her. If 50% view her unfavorably now, nothing changing, how is she supposed to change those numbers? How is that going to happen? The Democrats and Democrat-leaners are already included in the 50-50 split.

[Unvanguard]

28. And I'm talking about the primaries, not about her overall electoral chances.

For what it's worth, though, what's important isn't her favorables, but her favorables relative to her Republican opponents, and I think she comes out ahead there (for now--it's still too early to say much.)

[MisterP]

33. that's the first thing they break you of in poli sci: parties can certainly be set up to

favor a handpicked candidate, and even in the generals how people vote is quite rarely what they want or need--they'll vote for someone 70% against them to ensure that someone 70% against them loses

[Unvanguard]

35. Not sure what you're referring to.

As far as "parties can certainly be set up to favor a handpicked candidate." There's a fair amount of political science literature about how the "invisible primary," where a candidate courts support and endorsements from major players in the party, is an important part of success in getting nominated, but while Clinton has clearly dominated this process, that's not the same as a conspiratorial arrangement to shut out her competition. It's just another bit of support for the claim I made in the OP, that most Democrats (including most party elites) like Clinton and prefer her to the alternatives.

[JI7]

4. exactly. if she said she wasn't going to run you would have

Many others getting into the race. It would not just be O'malley and Sanders.

[LondonReign2]

5. Most Democrats also like pizza

However, I'm not in favor of a pizza getting the Democratic nomination either.

[lovemydog]

10. True that. Though if it were a Pizza versus a Republican I'd vote

for a Pizza with Extra Veto.

[Maedhros]

6. That's why I left the Democratic Party.

Our values are too far apart.

[lovemydog]

8. Where did you go?

Independent?

[Maedhros]

15. Socialist [n/t]

[lovemydog]

18. Cool. Thanks.

[PowerToThePeople]

34. I have been considering joining dsa for some time

Not sure about changing my voter registration though. I get their newsletters. I hope we continue to see a more Socialist push in the future.

http://www.dsausa.org/

Democratic Socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few. We are a political and activist organization, not a party; through campus and community-based chapters DSA members use a variety of tactics, from legislative to direct action, to fight for reforms that empower working people.

PETITION: Urge United States Senator Bernie Sanders to Run for President in 2016

Sign DSA's petition urging openly democratic socialist Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) to run for President in 2016 to further a desperately needed political revolution in the United States.

http://www.dsausa.org/weneedbernie

[lovemydog]

7. I like Hillary Clinton too as a person. I feel our economic policies should be far to her left

to really improve our country. I blame Congress for that, far more than I blame her. I truly hope she runs her campaign on solidly liberal principles and that she reaches out to the base of liberal democrats. I acknowledge that the Presidency is not where true progressives should focus most of their attention. I think most of our attention should be focused on Congressional races and lower - at local movements.

You will rarely find me criticizing Hillary Clinton, here or offline. I'm a democratic socialist and I think the term 'straddler' describes me well. I straddle between my leftist principles and my belief that change can come about primarily from the bottom up, rather than the top down. Having said that, I'm encouraged by Ms. Clinton's rollout of her campaign. I think she will introduce many policy proposal that will make things better for working people, in the next year. I think she's listening well. I don't believe in trashing fellow democrats, especially those who are popular and electable. Unless one is not a democrat. In which case I kind of wonder why they bother posting here, and / or why their only comments appear to be so negative and vicious.

[Maedhros]

16. Many believe that better Democrats are needed. [n/t]

[lovemydog]

20. And I agree with them. At all levels.

Especially Congress, imho.

[Maedhros]

21. Criticism of Hillary follows from that sentiment.

Her track record shows her to be the type of Democrat of which we need fewer, yet she is the front-runner because of a) name recognition and b) money.

[lovemydog]

24. Yes, I understand where you're coming from.

If there's a socialist or democratic socialist in the primaries I plan on voting for him or her. I may even vote that way in the general election as well. A lot can happen between now and November 2016.

[onenote]

12. But most Democrats are DINOs

[frylock]

13. Most consumers prefer Brand A

[freshwest]

14. Thanks for a well-reasoned post. n/t

[libpride_15]

17. If we had a real multiparty system...

Such as Israel we could have a minority exercise muscle so as to effect change.

But we don't.

It's almost always one or the other (especially our legislatures).

It means voting against the other side is always a real phenomenon.

I think the animus in the public makes all the Republicans toxic.

But then they smeared Al Gore in 2000 - a race we should have won.

So who knows what the media will do with this campaign.

I think Hillary's experience in this area is a plus - she's been there done that.

So the sniping that comes from some of the left just rolls off her back.

She might pay attention to the primary race if someone decides to run and hits 20%.

[Maedhros]

23. "Liberals, you tried your best and failed miserably.

The lesson is, 'never try.'"

[Autumn]

18. I like her a lot, but I won't support her in the primaries.

She is no stronger than any other Democrat who may decide to run.

[Rex]

22. Most moderates like HRC. That is true.

And since moderates make up the largest part of the Democratic Party, you are 100% correct. Sadly, they are not the ones that vote for Dem candidates at the highest numbers (if they did, we would hardly ever lose to the GOP).

Thankfully there is WE here and all over the WWW that are liberals and progressives - which very thankfully - vote almost 80% in national elections! JUST THINK, if we could get moderates and conservatives to vote in such numbers! Conservatives tend to vote the least amount for the Dem Party...which is not too much of a shock.

However, it is sad that Republicans are such detrimental people to society; they fool a lot of those moderates and conservatives into voting for them! I say fool...because we've had Reagan Dems and Dubya Dems. We can only hope they've learned from their massive mistakes in voting for the GOP.

DINOs hurt the party, because they don't always vote for the candidate.

[SidDithers]

25. DU rec. Especially that last part...nt

Sid

[VanillaRhapsody]

26. what matters IS WE are Democrats....WE support the Democratic process...

if WE support her...then she is credible....whether you like it or not. That's how Democracy works...

[orpupilofnature57]

29. A bunch of Democrats drink from the same well as Republicans, a plot

better than polarizing people , making them think the same way without admitting to it, every bi-partisan thing they do since the bail-out hurts the rest of us, and that's what it's become on both sides of the aisle, Them and us and the lines have become blurred .

[Unvanguard]

30. Democrats and Republicans don't think even remotely the same.

Not in Washington and not elsewhere either. The mainstream view in each of the political parties may still be different from yours. But that's a different point.

[orpupilofnature57]

32. Please ! How did we end up bailing out the the only people that profited from that War

THEY ALL agreed on . Please.

[99Forever]

31. Like her?

Don't know, I've never met her. I also don't dislike her. Once again, I've never met her.

What I don't like, is a fair number of things in her history. I don't buy into campaign rhetoric, my naivety in that vein has been all used up. I'm sorry, but the new improved "workin' for economic justice" stuff, is trumped by million$ made making speeches to banksters.

I also have a huge problem with her voting for Bush's disaster in Iraq. It says something to me about the kind of person she is and it isn't good. Our current economic and security issues are very much tied into that American MISTAKE and those issues have impacted my family in a very negative and personal way.