Almost half of Sanders' supporters say they won't vote for Clinton
Only 55 percent of Bernie Sanders' supporters say they plan to vote for Hillary Clinton in November, according to a June 14 national poll conducted by Bloomberg Politics. An entire 22 percent of Sanders' supporters said they will vote for Donald Trump in the general election, and another 18 percent said they would back Libertarian Gary Johnson.
Sanders has refrained from endorsing Clinton, and shown no signs of doing so anytime soon. Many of his supporters can't imagine voting for Clinton under any circumstances, as she represents a political establishment they have spent the entire primary season fighting against. "There's zero percent chance that Hillary Clinton could ever get my vote. She's a corporate candidate. I don't vote for corporate candidates. I don't do the lesser of two evils," Perry Mitchell, 31, of Baltimore, told Bloomberg.
Still, Clinton holds a healthy lead on Trump even if she can't convince all of Sanders' supporters to join her side. Eric Brooks, 52, of San Francisco, said he expects Johnson to take most of Sanders' Republican backers so "nobody in this election has to worry about being a spoiler." There is more good news for Clinton supporters, too: Historically, voters tend to drift to their party's candidate regardless of how hostile a primary season gets.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But that is not to dismiss the impact that Sanders putting his weight behind Clinton could have. "I guess an endorsement would probably sway me," Laura Armes, 43, of Beeville, Texas said. Until then, she plans to vote for Trump. Read more choice quotes from Bernie backers at Bloomberg Politics.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?
Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikes
Speed Read An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress honors real-life Rosie the Riveters
Speed Read These American women reshaped the work force during World War II
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Outgunned Ukraine could fall, US general warns
Speed Read Without more US aid, Ukraine is at risk of losing the war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
House GOP scuttles FISA vote at Trump's urging
Speed Read Right-wing lawmakers blocked Speaker Mike Johnson's surveillance bill
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published