Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) appeared on MSNBC Saturday and said that he feared the Democratic base of millennial voters was leaving the party — and that the challenge against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump would be harder than expected.
“We have to be careful if Trump is the nominee, and he has an appeal, a populist appeal that many of us did not expect,” Richardson said. “There’s something out there about it, and I think Hillary would beat him, but it would be appear major, major effort.”
Richardson said that young people who made up a large part of Obama’s elections in 2008 and 2012 don’t seem to have the energy for Clinton.
“I think the economic issue is going to keep Democrats in line, but at the same time I think we have got to be conscience that young voters don’t seem to be staying with the the Democratic party,” he continued. “We have to get our base out, Hispanics and African-Americans and unions and white women also seem to be heading our way.”
The former governor is correct, youth turnout is down significantly from 2008. In a comparison between turnout and exit polls in the first 15 Democratic primary states, youth turnout was down by about 275,000 votes or 20 percent from 2008.
It seems that the girls who had a crush on Obama aren’t hot for Hillary.
Watch the full clip below:
