All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[JackDaw]

So... He looked like a loser, but then surged because people like siding with a winner?

Huh?

The much likely "answer" is that as other candidates drop out (or become obvious "dead men walking") their support is going too Joe rather than Bernie...because Bernie is so different to all the other contenders.

In the country of the moderates, the least useless candidate is king....

[Steel Inquisitor]

The much likely "answer" is that as other candidates drop out (or become obvious "dead men walking") their support is going too Joe rather than Bernie...because Bernie is so different to all the other contenders.

In the country of the moderates, the least useless candidate is king....

"Different" being socialist, not as popular as he thinks and he's terrible at making alliances within the party he's currently trying to be the leader of. Biden may be deeply flawed, but he knows that much. This will be the second swing and miss Sanders has made, maybe his successor won't be so incompetent.

[shooshoomanjoe]

If Biden wins the nomination, I hope Bernie supporters remember that Biden is far better than trump.

[aja_christopher]

Don't blame the DNC or "centrists" or a conspiracy when your base doesn't show up to vote.

Many people pointed out that this is exactly the problem with depending on young voters to win elections.

With that in mind, don't get angry at others for pointing out the truth -- acknowledge the realities of voting patterns and adjust your tactics accordingly.

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"Many young voters sat out Super Tuesday, contributing to Bernie Sanders' losses"

"Young voters cheer Bernie Sanders' anti-establishment message. They turn out in throngs at his rallies. And they form the core of his grassroots efforts to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

But their fiery passion did not translate into the robust turnout he needed on Super Tuesday to win a number of key states, notably in the South where a strong showing by former Vice President Joe Biden has made the nomination contest a two-man race. Exit polls for five southern states that Biden won – Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia – found that young voters did not show up at the polls in the numbers they did in 2016.

In addition, the Vermont senator has been grabbing a smaller share of them in most cases.

In Alabama, only 7% of the voters were in the 17-29 range compared to 14% in 2016. Sanders won six of every 10 of those voters Tuesday compared to four of 10 in 2016.

In North Carolina, 13% of Tuesday’s electorate were young voters, compared to 16% four years ago. Of those, 57% went for Sanders in 2020 compared to 69% in 2016.

In South Carolina, young voters made up 11% of the electorate Tuesday compared to 15% in 2016. Sanders won 43% of those voters Tuesday compared to 54% four years ago.

Sanders’ agenda, which includes erasing college debt and providing health care for all, is popular with young people. But the exit polls indicated those voters were not the line of defense they were in 2016. Sanders’ rallies feature throngs of college students and 20-somethings cheering him on. In Virginia, Sanders held three rallies last week that featured thousands of energized supporters at each stop. On Tuesday, Biden clobbered Sanders in Virginia by winning by 30 percentage points.

Sanders would need an extraordinary turnout among young voters to make up for the loss of moderates who would stay away from the polls if he’s the nominee, according to a study by political scientists David Broockman of the University of Cal-Berkeley and Joshua Kalla of Yale University, who surveyed some 40,000 voters to assess the electability of the Democratic contenders.

Sanders would need an increase of 11 percentage points among voters between 18 and 29 to offset the loss of swing voters, the study concluded."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...16/4947795002/

[jetengine]

The question us why do they not vote ? I suspect their vote woyld matter more (and politicians would actually have to do a better job rather then coasting) if voting was mandatory ala Australia.

[aja_christopher]

The question us why do they not vote ? I suspect their vote woyld matter more (and politicians would actually have to do a better job rather then coasting) if voting was mandatory ala Australia.

Too busy arguing on message boards.

Let's be real -- everyone knows how most young people are: passionate, which is good, but not always knowledgeable or responsible and often inconsistent.

An important part of any coalition, especially with regards to the future, but not the really the "base" you want to depend on in an election.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Too busy arguing on message boards.

Let's be real -- everyone knows how most young people are: passionate, which is good, but not always knowledgeable or responsible and often inconsistent.

An important part of any coalition, especially with regards to the future, but not the really the "base" you want to depend on in an election.

People have tried to tell this to Sanders for years, and he refused to listen.

[jetengine]

Too busy arguing on message boards.

Let's be real -- everyone knows how most young people are: passionate, which is good, but not always knowledgeable or responsible and often inconsistent.

An important part of any coalition, especially with regards to the future, but not the really the "base" you want to depend on in an election.

Lately I'd disagree frankly, at least on an overall level considering the amount of boomers sending everything to hell for a quick buck

[SquirrelMan]

"Different" being socialist, not as popular as he thinks and he's terrible at making alliances within the party he's currently trying to be the leader of. Biden may be deeply flawed, but he knows that much. This will be the second swing and miss Sanders has made, maybe his successor won't be so incompetent.

Which is exactly what Hillary meant when she said nobody likes him.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Too busy arguing on message boards.

Let's be real -- everyone knows how most young people are: passionate, which is good, but not always knowledgeable or responsible and often inconsistent.

An important part of any coalition, especially with regards to the future, but not the really the "base" you want to depend on in an election.

I'm rather surprised at this, considering the appeal Sanders was said to have had with young people. Is it possible he (and everyone else) misjudged the level of their devotion?

[SquirrelMan]

I'm rather surprised at this, considering the appeal Sanders was said to have had with young people. Is it possible he (and everyone else) misjudged the level of their devotion?

The thing about bots... they don't show up at inaugurations, and they rarely vote.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The thing about bots... they don't show up at inaugurations, and they rarely vote.

Hmm! I must admit that hadn't occurred to me. I wonder if that occurred to the Sanders campaign?

Also, have all the votes been counted in California yet? Has a winner been officially declared?

[Tendrin]

Hmm! I must admit that hadn't occurred to me. I wonder if that occurred to the Sanders campaign?

Also, have all the votes been counted in California yet? Has a winner been officially declared?

No, CA will be counting for a while. Sanders is the winner there and I don't expect that to change, but a lot of dem ballots were apparently held on to the last minute.

[TheDarman]

Hmm! I must admit that hadn't occurred to me. I wonder if that occurred to the Sanders campaign?

Also, have all the votes been counted in California yet? Has a winner been officially declared?

They aren’t fully counted and Biden is catching up to Sanders and closing the vote and delegate gap. That said, the state has been called for Sanders. This is definitely the win he needed after he lost Texas.

[Tami]

They aren’t fully counted and Biden is catching up to Sanders and closing the vote and delegate gap. That said, the state has been called for Sanders. This is definitely the win he needed after he lost Texas.

It makes this a neck-to-neck race with two front Runners for now. Still plenty more states left to primary.