2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumNate Silver: What Happens if Bernie Wins Iowa
But suppose Sanders does win Iowa. The next step is relatively easy: Hell probably also win New Hampshire, where the demographics are even better for him, he has a geographic advantage as a Vermont senator (that really does matter) and he already leads Clinton by 13 percentage points. (Obligatory reminder: Clinton won New Hampshire in 2008 despite being way behind in the polls after Iowa.)
...
But there are two reasons to think that Hillary Clinton, like her husband, could defy the prevailing trend. One is the issue I mentioned earlier: Sanderss success in Iowa and New Hampshire might be a reflection of their Sanders-friendly demographics rather than a harbinger of Clintons doom. That seems to match the polling were seeing in other states, where (for instance) Sanders is doing relatively well in Wisconsin, which also has plenty of white liberals, but struggling in North Carolina, which has fewer.
...
Unlike on the Republican side, this isnt necessarily a choice between head and heart for Democratic voters. Democrats arent just backing Clinton because they think shes more pragmatic or electable; most of them are closer to Clinton than Sanders on the issues. So even if Sanders gained a lot of momentum after the early states, he could have trouble closing the sale with voters who think hes a little too far to the left.
------
Nate spends a whopping 2 paragraphs on if he loses (I'll quote 1 to keep in the 4 paragraph limit):
None of that would necessarily matter. Iowa should be one of the half-dozen or so most favorable states in the country for Sanders; New Hampshire is one of the few that ranks even higher for him. If Sanders cant win Iowa, he probably wont be winning other relatively favorable states like Wisconsin, much less more challenging ones like Ohio and Florida. His ceiling wouldnt be high enough to win the nomination unless something major changes.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-happens-if-bernie-sanders-wins-iowa/
Bjornsdotter
(6,123 posts)...what prompted this. I thought Nate Silver was rock solid on a Clinton win.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)Romulox
(25,960 posts)into political analysis, a subject in which he has no particular training or insight.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)That's why he's sidestepping the statistical analysis now!
Romulox
(25,960 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)... they'll get ya every time. Looks like Bernie doesn't have enough of them. The nomination is hers!
Go, Hillary!