PSA: Voters don't give a f[inks] who endorsed who four years ago

[they don't love you like i love you]

Seriously, they don't. The idea that they do is based on Atlas nerds assuming all voters think like they do. I laugh at the idea Tulsi Gabbard automatically inherits all 13 million+ Sanders votes if she runs for this reason (and of course the notion that "Bernie Bros" made up the majority of Sanders supporters and not just some neckbeards on Reddit) and that working class white Democrats want to punish Sherrod Brown for endorsing Hillary or whatever. Most voters don't even KNOW who endorsed someone four years ago.

Proof? Well for starters who was the main anti-Romney Republican in 2012? Rick Santorum. Guess who Rick Santorum endorsed in 2008? Mitt Romney.

Or hell probably the best proof ever:



Your average Sanders voter in a place like Wexford County, MI will not give a f[inks] who endorsed Sanders or Hillary four years ago in 2020...nor will they even be aware. Many might not even remember Bernie Sanders if he doesn't run again other than a vague memory of "that guy I voted for over Hillary four years back". Think of it this way: How many Republican primary voters last year could even name any candidates from 2012 besides Mitt Romney? And who in the Trump is forced out scenario in 2020 is going to care about the campaigns of Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio in determining what candidate to support?

It's a total non-factor.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

But all of that falls flat in the face of the fact that I have a vicious and irrational hatred of Clinton and want to see those who supported her humiliated.

[Blue3]

Activists and potential staffers/volunteers care.

[GoTfan]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

The day mainstream Democrats write off Gabbard is the day she wins the nomination.

[LLR]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

The day mainstream Democrats write off Gabbard is the day she wins the nomination.

Gabbard is a Fiorina, not a Trump

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

The day mainstream Democrats write off Gabbard is the day she wins the nomination.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Can you make a case for why she wins that doesn't consist of her inheriting all Bernie voters or "but Trump"?

[MT Treasurer]

Can you make a case for why she wins that doesn't consist of her inheriting all Bernie voters or "but Trump"?

People here seem to think that the Democratic primary electorate is 97% White or so, lol.

[Mr. Morden]

The idea that they do is based on Atlas nerds assuming all voters think like they do. I laugh at the idea Tulsi Gabbard automatically inherits all 13 million+ Sanders votes if she runs for this reason (and of course the notion that "Bernie Bros" made up the majority of Sanders supporters and not just some neckbeards on Reddit) and that working class white Democrats want to punish Sherrod Brown for endorsing Hillary or whatever. Most voters don't even KNOW who endorsed someone four years ago.

I'd go even farther than that, and note that the "Sanders coalition" is heavily dependent on college kids, and most of the college kids of 2020 are still in high school now, and probably paying little attention to politics.  Whatever ~10 million+ votes the next Sanders-like candidate gets will largely come from voters who are currently too young to vote (slight exaggeration). 

[they don't love you like i love you]

Can you make a case for why she wins that doesn't consist of her inheriting all Bernie voters or "but Trump"?

People here seem to think that the Democratic primary electorate is 97% White or so, lol.

Unless we're talking about Kanye West, in which case the assumption is he wins 99% of the black vote and thus the nomination.

[Figueira]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

The day mainstream Democrats write off Gabbard is the day she wins the nomination.

We shouldn't "write her off," but it's still highly unlikely that she gets the nomination.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Actually I missed the best example in the OP. How much of Ron Paul's support did Rand Paul inherit? And he was like the most obvious heir ever.

[Figueira]

Actually I missed the best example in the OP. How much of Ron Paul's support did Rand Paul inherit? And he was like the most obvious heir ever.

Rand Paul is interesting in that everyone assumed he would be a huge sensation on the Internet, but he wasn't a huge sensation on the Internet (or anywhere).

[Xing]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

The day mainstream Democrats write off Gabbard is the day she wins the nomination.

I'm not sure I'd say that about Gabbard, but I might about certain other potential "candidates"...

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

Hillary will get the blame for 2016, but her supporters will be forgiven.  The Democratic Party will implode if they're not.

[Vosem]

Hillary will get the blame for 2016, but her supporters will be forgiven.  The Democratic Party will implode if they're not.

Honestly, outside of this forum, I've seen very little blame given to Hillary for the defeat, and my social circle is probably a majority of Sanders supporters (with most Republicans in it being anti-Trump through the very end). Blame is given partially to James Comey, but mostly to the unfair system that took victory away from the popular vote winner. Anybody who saw Hillary favorably during the general-election campaign still sees her favorably. Nobody would give a sh**t whether someone endorsed Hillary or Bernie four years back, especially the vast majority of Bernie supporters who voted for Hillary themselves in the general election.