Sanders Needs High Voter Turnout To Beat Clinton

Last week when people in Nevada participated in the Democratic caucuses, voter turnout was lower than it was in 2008. Approximately 84,000 people came to vote this year versus 118,000 in 2008. Turnout was low, too. Only 17 percent of eligible Nevada Democrats voted last Saturday.

In South Carolina, that number’s looking even worse. With 90 percent of precincts reporting, it appears that less than 13 percent of Democrats voted in the primary, giving Hillary Clinton a solid win. As Bernie Sanders said last week after the poor turnout in Nevada, when turnout is high, he wins. When it’s low, Clinton wins.

According to statistics with Every Vote Matters, some counties in South Carolina saw very low turnouts, with zero to 10 percent of eligible voters heading to the ballot. For example, Oconee County was one of the areas that had less than 10 percent of voters come to the polls. Only 3,304 — or 6.92 percent — of registered Democrats voted in the primary.

That is one of the worst turnouts possible, and it only solidifies the conventional wisdom that progressives win when turnout is high. Clinton is hardly a progressive, and the evidence is stark: she won handily among older, more traditional voters.

However, all is not lost for Bernie Sanders. Statistical projections by Five-Thirty-Eight estimate that if Sanders ties Clinton on Super Tuesday, he could win 26 of the remaining 35 states voting after March 1. Those states could effectively give him the Democratic nomination. But again, this depends on a high voter turnout.

Traditionally, young voters are the most unreliable, but they are Sanders’ biggest supporters. So, what will it take to get them to the polls? As Super Tuesday looms on the horizon, statistics are looking more unfavorable for him because turnout has been lower in two out of three states thus far.

Bernie trumps the GOP. If we want a Democrat in the White House, Bernie is our best chance to beat Republicans. pic.twitter.com/Ziv3wuK2oS

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 28, 2016

Bernie Sanders can win, but even he acknowledges it’s an uphill battle, and with South Carolina’s pathetically low turnout in the rearview mirror, the road ahead is filled with potholes and speed bumps.

Sanders lost South Carolina by 47.5 percent, which is a much larger margin than he was expected to lose by. And in Massachusetts, his opponent, Clinton, currently has an eight-point lead in polls. That state is one of the many that Sanders needs to either win or tie on Tuesday.

What’s most important about this primary election is not just getting Bernie the nomination, it is keeping Hillary out of the White House. Her history shows that she will speak out of both sides of her mouth, promising one thing to one group of people while promising something different to another group. The group that wins out will be the group that donates the most money to her.

On the eve of the South Carolina primary, 1,500 emails of Clinton’s were released into the public. Some of these are revealing just how dishonest with the public she has been in the past — and in the present — when representing her views. International Business Times reports that, in 2008, Hillary publicly announced that she opposed a Columbian trade deal, but in fact lobbied Democratic members of Congress to support it.

This is but one example of how very different Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are in terms of integrity, honesty, and service to the public: Sanders has never wavered in his quest to do the right thing for the people. Clinton has never wavered in doing what’s best for herself.

For this reason, it is absolutely imperative that eligible voter turnout must be high on Super Tuesday, because Sanders will win if that happens. As previously reported on The Inquisitr, many voters will either stay home, write Bernie Sanders in, or vote for a third party if Clinton gets the nomination. And if that happens, a Republican most likely will win the White House. If by some miracle, Clinton wins the general election, she may be a one-term president, opening the door to a Republican presidency in 2020.

So voters, if you love Bernie Sanders, and if you’re registered to vote, find a way to get to the polls when it’s time. High turnout means victory. No one wants a repeat of South Carolina.

[Photo: J Pat Carter/ Getty]