Much pundit jibber-jabber has focused on whether Bernie Sanders supporters could vote for Trump. That’s a fun parlour game — which Trump himself is trying to promote — but there’s a far, far more likely danger for the Clinton campaign: that too many Bernie voters will vote for Green Party nominee, Jill Stein.
It’s become an article of faith that Ralph Nader cost Al Gore the election in 2000. As Green Party nominee, he won 2.74 percent of the vote.
Currently, the Green Party nominee, Jill Stein, is polling at 5 percent (ABC) and 6 percent (NBC). A recent poll in New Hampshire had Clinton and Trump tied, with Stein pulling 5 percent (and Gary Johnson pulling 10 percent).
The leak of DNC emails indicating that the party was favoring Hillary, combined with the selection of Tim Kaine, will harden the views of many Bernie people. It’s not true that they have no choice but to vote for Hillary. They do have a choice, and it isn’t Donald Trump.
Update: An account of a Sanders support from Politico:
“I don’t really believe in my heart he truly supports her. I feel like he’s giving us subliminal messages, ‘Vote for Jill Stein. Vote for Jill Stein.’ That’s the wave I’m picking up,” said Jelisa Mone, a 27-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, who was selling $20 T-shirts depicting scowling Clinton and Trump faces and a ‘#BadVsWorse’ hashtag.
