​Young voters not helping Sanders

Tuesday was a bit of a blow for Bernie Sanders chances for the Presidency. Getting swept by Hillary Clinton in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri was not what his candidacy needed following the momentous upset victory in Michigan.

What is happening? Bernie Sanders wins when turnout is high and young people vote in higher numbers than normal. When they don’t, he loses. Unfortunately, it is much easier to share a Bernie Sanders meme on Facebook than get to the polls and actually vote for a candidate in a primary or caucus. It’s pretty simple, if young people don’t want Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic nominee for President, they have to actually go to the polls and vote in primary or caucus, many of them for the first time.

If they don’t, seniors and minorities and other key reliable Democrat constituencies will do what they always do and show up and vote for their preferred candidate. Those blocs of voters have proven time and time again that they will vote when needed. Maybe enthusiasm is destined to be low for the 2016 election, maybe people are pessimistic that they will ever get real change in America, that they are just destined to not show up and vote no matter what. Maybe it will take a Trump nomination to motivate people to vote. Whatever the case, Minnesota and Michigan aside, young people have been failing to give Sanders the momentum he needs.

The reason younger voters were picking Sanders over Clinton was simple. Hillary wouldn’t be a bad nominee. She would just continue the policies of President Obama which has been a good Presidency. He was handed one of the worst economies ever inherited by an incoming President. He turned that around. He got us going in the right direction. The unemployment rate has improved, gas prices are lower, more Americans are getting health coverage, we captured Bin Laden and didn’t start more wars.

But some feel that we need a shock to the system to get real fundamental change. That we need a bolder, radical candidate who isn’t tied to corporations and will stand up to institutions like Wall Street when needed and truly began to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. The middle class is pretty much gone in America, that is unacceptable. My biggest disappointment in the Obama presidency is that he hasn’t prosecuted those on Wall Street responsible for the biggest financial crises in our nation’s history. If they weren’t punished, what is to stop them from doing it again?

But if all that wasn’t enough to motivate young people, I don’t know what will. A lot of people felt that Bernie was the right man for that. It’s not over yet but again young people in primary states have to put down their Iphones and Cheetos and actually vote in droves. If that doesn’t happen soon, Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for President in 2016. I really hope the contest lasts until June when North Dakota has its chance to vote on who they want. It’s worth noting, Obama was still behind in 2008 at this point, lost many of the same states as Sanders and still won the nomination. But Sanders can’t afford any more sweeps and that’s squarely on the backs of younger voters.

On the Republican side, it’s becoming more and more likely Donald Trump will become the nominee in 2016. With Marco Rubio bowing out after losing his home state of Florida, the establishment’s last hope is John Kasich, who is a long shot for sure. Ted Cruz remains a challenge for Trump but can he get enough momentum to topple him? His surge better happen soon. I can’t wait for Trump to get the full scrutiny and vetting that becomes with being the nominee. Nobody has taken him seriously, it will change once he’s inevitable and I don’t think he will handle that scrutiny well. There’s a lot we don’t know about Donald Trump.

As we went to press. President Obama was going to announce his Supreme Court nominee to fill the departure following the death of Antonin Scalia. Republicans have vowed to not even give this nominee a hearing despite the length of time remaining before Obama leaves office. It would be the longest we’ve went without a Justice if we waited until the next President took office. Republicans are going to continue their constant pattern of obstruction up until the day Obama leaves office.

The day he was sworn in, GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to oppose everything he did and made his only mission to make him a one term President. Whatever you want to say about Obama, he has stood up to strident opposition that wanted to give him no victories or legislation. Obama is right to put up a nominee and put the onus on Republicans to look like the fools they’ve been his whole term. It will probably harm them in the 2016 elections. But they will go out as they came in with Obama, obstructing even as it harms their own political fortunes.