Alienated voters and strategic voters

[eridani]

Alienated voters are the 63%--those eligible to vote who did not vote in 2014. Sanders is mobilizing them, and Clinton doesn’t stand a chance with them.

Strategic voters are those who take the long view of electoral politics. They’ll be fully on board with their second or third choice if their first choice doesn’t get the nomination. Mostly, Democratic supporters of Sanders are strategic voters.

It is the alienated voters now supporting Sanders who are likely to sit out the general election if he doesn’t get the nomination. I’ve recently switched from a Sanders group in SE Seattle to one in SW Seattle which meets closer to where I live. I’ve mentioned the 26 year old woman who organized the former group before—she has never voted at all. Too young by a couple of months in 2008, and has never seen a reason to vote since. The 28 year old young man who organized the latter group has voted a couple of times, but never been involved actively in a campaign. He’s another alienated voter who told me that he would never vote for Clinton, though he has gone through the trouble of becoming a Democratic PCO.

The 80% who thought Sanders won on 10/13 are mainly the younger users of social media. I’m convinced that we are totally screwn if Clinton gets the Democratic nomination and Jebbers gets the Republican nod. Our only hope with Clinton as the nominee is Jebbers not getting the Republican nomination. In that case, Clinton can attract older Republican women who can compensate for the absent younger voters who will not vote to re-enact 1992.

[JI7]

1. if sanders is getting those he should win easily

[CajunBlazer]

2. I am not sure that is the correct view...

I will vote for the Democratic nominee regardless, but the coming election will not be decided by the true believers on either side. As usual it will be decided by unaffiliated voters who view themselves as moderates. They don't cater to any candidate they view as too conservative or too liberal.

For instance the previous two Republican nominees for President ruined their chances of being elected by moving too far to the right in order to obtain their party's nomination. If the Republicans end up nominating a radical conservative such as Cruz or Sanders or a clown like Trump, they will turn off those moderates. Likewise most of those moderates are very likely to view Bernie as too left leaning to be President.

That is exactly why the Republican establishment has lately favored more moderate candidates instead of radical bomb throwers. I think you can see that the Democratic establishment is reacting the same way. There is a logical explanation for the prevailing thinking of the leaders of both parties - the want to WIN!!!

[eridani]

3. If they think Sanders is "too far left" that's because Dems can't manage to get to

--red state voters who reject them, but still pass increases in the minimum wage.