With Democratic nomination almost in hand, Hillary Clinton has one more challenge ahead before focusing on the Republicans: exciting Bernie Sanders’ supporters.
Sanders’ slim chances of overtaking Clinton in delegates diminishes further with each primary loss. He needs 81 percent of the remaining delegates, Clinton just 19 percent.
But the Vermont senator has gone from being 50 points behind Clinton in June 2015 to having just a few points separating him from the former secretary of state in national polls. Sanders has won over younger voters and progressives who think Clinton is too moderate along with Democrats and independents who don’t trust her.
While the majority of Sanders supporters say they will vote for Clinton in November, a recent poll shows that 25 percent of current Sanders supporters will either vote for another candidate or not vote at all if Sanders isn’t the nominee. This is consistent with other polling showing a quarter of his voters resistant to Clinton.
“Clinton’s greatest challenge is to figure out which of these supporters she can get by taking parts of his message and makes it hers,” Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf told the Washington Examiner. “She has to figure out a strategy for people in contested states to hold their noses and vote for her because she’s better than the other guy.”
Sanders’ strongest supporters: young voters, are not always known for their high turnout. Barack Obama was able to get them to the polls in 2008 and 2012. If they are demoralized by Clinton’s win, she could have a problem.
In recent months Clinton has attempted to win these voters back, telling Sanders supporters that while “you may not be for me, I am for you!”
After her wins Tuesday night in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Connecticut, the former secretary of state went even further and applauded the democratic socialist’s efforts to keep money out of politics and reduce inequality, saying, “Together we will get that done.”
Sanders superdelegate and Idaho Democratic National Committee member Pete Gertonson said that he is worried too many Sanders supporters will stay home if their candidate isn’t on the ticket, hurting Democrats in down-ballot races.
“What I’m seeing now is a bunch of Bernie people who have blinders on with their candidate, Gertonson said. “I’m hoping that the Sanders people have a plan B and that plan B is to vote for Democrats up and down the ticket.”
He added, “If Sanders supporters stay home and don’t vote we’re looking at a Republican president and we can’t afford that.”
Although, many once described Clinton’s nomination as “inevitable” Sanders has been able to keep the race competitive for months by attracting millions of progressive Democrats who felt connected to his message of defeating a corrupt system rigged by the one percent.
The democratic socialist pushed Clinton to the left on numerous issues such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Keystone Pipeline. Although Clinton’s campaign has the support of number super PACs and high-dollar donors, she began touting her campaign’s “grassroots” efforts and routinely asked supporters for $1 donations, as Sanders’ grew popular off donations averaging $27.
“I’ll support Clinton in the general if I have to, I’m a Democrat,” Sanders supporter Scott Libbey told the Examiner outside a Maryland voting site. “But what’s the alternative? You’re going to get Trump in there or Cruz.”
