Nearly One in Four Bernie Sanders Supporters is #NeverBiden, According to New Poll
Richard Moorhead
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Nearly one in four Bernie Sanders supporters are declining to support Joe Biden for President, according to a new USA Today poll released on Saturday.
22% of Sanders supporters are planning on either voting for a third party candidate, voting for Donald Trump, or not voting at all.
The count of #NeverBiden Democrats is considerably higher than usual for a party nominee seeking the support of those who supported his primary opponents. Biden has the lowest voter enthusiasm level recorded for a Democratic presidential nominee, with many progressive Democrats either apathetic or cold to the notion of endorsing a former Vice President who has been in elected office dating back decades.
Even more former Sanders voters describe themselves as unexcited for Biden’s candidacy. 60% of Sanders supporters say they’re either not very excited or not excited all to support Biden’s campaign for President.
Earlier polling shows that 15% of 2020 Sanders voters are planning on voting for Trump specifically in the November general election. Institutional Democrats are starting smear campaigns against progressive Democrats who are declining to endorse Joe Biden, with even Sanders himself giving his former campaign press secretary the cold shoulder when asked about her refusal to get on board with the party’s elder figure.
Biden’s struggles to win over enthusiastic Sanders supporters- who form the younger contingent of the Democratic Party’s electorate- may spell trouble for the activist and volunteering prospects of his campaign. Older voters are far less likely to engage in the phonebanking and the neighborhood canvassing that are fundamentals of any serious political campaign.
However, disgruntlement with party nominees from supporters of other primary candidates is common at this point in election cycles, and Biden may prove more successful in uniting Democrats later on in the election season.
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