The turnout of 171,000 in Iowa was FAR BELOW the 2008 turnout of 240,000.

[pnwmom]

If you want to know why Bernie didn't win, this could have been predicted from turnout alone. Unfortunately, people didn't turn out the way they had for Obama. Bernie had extremely strong support among young people, but there weren't enough of them there.

Nate Silver and others had always said Bernie's winning depended on turnout. He succeeded in getting more out there than usual, but his numbers were not close to Obama's. And if you look at the state county maps, outside of college counties, the mostly older Hillary voters were out in force.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Bernie is no Obama. He cannot drive turnout like Obama did and that's why he will lose. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. How's Hillary doing with turnout?

I hardly think that beating a Socialist by a razor thin margin 0.2% speaks well of her ability to turn out voters.

[Recursion]

16. Well, in Iowa, very marginally better (nt)

[frylock]

70. Slim marginally better.

[workinclasszero]

27. Hillary became the first woman in history to win the Iowa caucus

Shes doing great I would say

[frylock]

71. Another resume builder!

[NurseJackie]

12. But, but ... BUMPER STICKERS!!

[BigGLiberal]

24. And Bernie yard art

[CoffeeCat]

45. This OP and the negative spin against Bernie is disingenuous (at best)

To compare 2016 Iowa caucus turnout to 2008's record-breaking, juggernaut attendance--and declare that Sanders can't produce turnout--is laughable.

2008 was an off-the-charts attendance record for the Iowa caucuses. But that doesn't mean that 2016 wasn't successful.

It most certainly was.

In 2004--124,000 people participated in the Iowa caucuses. That's 50,000 fewer people than 2016!

In 2000--60,0000 people participated in the Iowa caucuses. That's 110,000 fewer people that in 2016!

The fact remains--that 2016 is the second highest Democratic attendance that the Iowa caucuses have EVER seen.

Instead of trying to spin Bernie into some unrecognizable, horrifying candidate, you might want to read what the Des Moines Register says about the 2016 Iowa caucus attendance. We're celebrating it here. In my precinct, we had lines out of the door and we ran out of voter-registrations forms. This happened all across Iowa. Many precinct captains, including myself, had to move our caucus locations to bigger venues. We were moved from a school cafeteria to the school gymnasium.

There was a lot of enthusiasm, participation and excitement this year.

You're spin is noted. But it's wrong. It ignores history. It ignores the comprehensive picture of all Iowa caucus attendance records.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2016/02/02/caucus-turnout-robust-record-setting-and-surprising/79626128/

[MondoCane]

2. A lot of that turn out in 08...

Had to do with the end of the Bush years.

[enid602]

79. revolution

That, if any was the time for revolution. Not now. Bernie's sense of timing sucks.

[workinclasszero]

3. This spells doom for the sanders campaign post NH

[litlbilly]

36. NO, sorry it doesnt. Dont even know where you came up with that. Did Hillary get 3mil donations

in one day? Don't think so. People don't even know who Bernie is yet, and when they do, the votes will come. Even with the M$M ignoring him, and now just bashing him, it wont make any difference.

[CoffeeCat]

47. 2016 was the 2nd biggest Iowa Democratic caucus attendance record in the state's history

Wow.

Doom?

Seriously?

2008 was a colossal, record-shattering year for the Democratic caucuses. However, 2016 comes in second as most attended Iowa Democratic caucus with 171,000 participants.

Numbers from previous two years:
2004--124,000
2000--60,000

Each year is different. That doesn't mean that someone is lacking a robust campaign. Or that the people running are DOOMED!

The exaggeration and spin here is in full force...

[MineralMan]

5. That's far from surprising, really.

2008 was an extraordinary election year for Democrats. I doubt we'll see its like anytime in the near future.

[Romulox]

6. Iowa doesn't deserve out-sized influence in the Presidential nomination process.

Their population is not representative, and their process is opaque and antiquated.

[Recursion]

17. And it's why we still have ethanol subsidies

That would have died long ago if not for the caucus

[hobbit709]

7. Evidently Clinton couldn't motivate anyone either.

[pnwmom]

8. She motivated enough people to win. n/t

[zalinda]

9. Barely...........and they've know her for over 25 years. eom

[pnwmom]

60. If Bernie won 23 to 21, all his supporters would be calling it a win. n/t

[zalinda]

63. But, they haven't known him for 25 years. Big difference. n/t

[pnwmom]

65. He's been in politics and many east coasters have "known" him for much longer than that. n/t

[zalinda]

68. This was Iowa.........not on the east coast. n/t

[pnwmom]

69. Do you think everyone in Iowa has lived there and only there for their whole lives?

[zalinda]

85. So everyone who moved to Iowa is from the east coast? LOL eom

[frylock]

73. After coming back from 60 points behind?

Fuckin-a right we would!

[pnwmom]

75. I wonder how he would have done if the GOP super-pacs had spent millions of dollars

in attack ads against him, like they did against Hillary?

He benefited from the ads they put on TV against Hillary. Lucky him.

[frylock]

76. You seem to thrive on FUD. I don't let the GOP dictate my life.

[pnwmom]

78. Your candidate benefited from a free windfall of attack ads on Hillary.

Of course that didn't bother you.

[frylock]

80. Thems the breaks.

[pnwmom]

81. If he becomes the nominee, he'll find himself subject to attacks

unlike any he's ever known.

His supporters won't see this coming any more than most of them realized that the caucus wouldn't be a walk in the park.

[frylock]

82. *yawn*

[hobbit709]

59. And what happens if she can't motivate turnout in the GE?

[pnwmom]

61. Older women voters are her strongest supporters and also the most likely to turn out.

She also has support among the minority communities that are key parts of the Democratic coalition.

[hobbit709]

62. Keep telling yourself that.

All of the 50+ age women I know are for Bernie.

[morningfog]

10. He missed winning by 274 votes. The turn out was pretty damn good.

By the way, HIllary couldn't bring them out in 2008 and didn't in 2016. She can't in November either.

[redstateblues]

38. I thought Bernie was going to drive

A huge turnout

[PeaceNikki]

41. No, it wasn't. Especially not compared to the GOP.

That's not a knock on either candidate, but a criticism of Democrats nationwide. We have dismal turnout for everything but GE's. We should stop acting like it's "pretty damn good". It's not - we should step up.

[jfern]

64. Actually, there's a very good chance he got more votes

First round: A good chance he got more votes
Second round: Hillary barely got more delegates
Third round: A good chance he gets more delegates with the help of O'Malley delegates

[Blue_Adept]

11. Smaller candidate base probably drove a lot of it

If there's not a lot of variety to who you'll vote for, it keeps a lot of folks away.

[winter is coming]

14. I'm wondering how many people crossed over to vote against Trump. n/t

[leveymg]

13. If this is an indicator of Dem turnout in the GE, guess who's going to be Pres. Not Hillary.

[pnwmom]

18. Not Bernie either, if Iowa is critical. n/t

[leveymg]

22. You say that like it makes you happy. n/t

[pnwmom]

25. I don't think Iowa would be critical. But the large southern states are,

and he has little support there.

[leveymg]

30. Hillary is not going to win the large southern states. Not in the GE, anyway.

So, we're back to turnout in states where Independents might vote Dem. Unfortunately for us, they don't like or trust her, and show no signs of being able to hold their noses to push the button for Hillary. Negative coat-tails. Where does that leave the rest of us?

[redstateblues]

49. She'll win FL

[Uponthegears]

56. If

if if . . .

Marco Rubio isn't the Republican nominee.

[questionseverything]

15. the repubs had a record turn out

when the repubs got a 2 month head start on the debates they really screwed the democratic party

[leveymg]

23. It's also been the Trump News Channel, 24/7 for months. That's kept the cannibals engaged.

[questionseverything]

32. yep

[frylock]

74. The democrats screwed the democrats on that one.

[AZ Progressive]

19. Voters in 2008 were fed up with Bush and the Republicans

[JudyM]

37. Excellent point. That's been bugging me.

[Tom Rinaldo]

20. 2004 Turnout was 124,000

That was a hotly contested contest too. Dean, Kerry, Edwards, Gephardt, Kucinich, etc. were all running that year.

[cali]

21. And that's why dems will lose.

[AZ Progressive]

26. Obama got approx 90,000 votes, Bernie got approx 85,000 votes

People will go to vote (especially in a primary/caucus) mostly because they have a candidate that they like and support, not just for the hell of it.

[JudyM]

35. This is accurate? Then how do we account for the much greater turnout in 08?

[litlbilly]

39. Because of Bush, its that simple

[JudyM]

42. No, I mean if we're looking at 70,000 fewer dem voters this time and Obama only got 5,000 more than

Hillary and Bernie, that leaves about 60,000 more votes unaccounted for.

[litlbilly]

43. They will show up for the GE

[JudyM]

44. Communication gap here.

[redstateblues]

51. If Obama gets out and And campaigns for

Our nominee it will drive people to the polls

[litlbilly]

48. I do see what you mean. Bernie actually did quite well from the actual turnout.

[PeaceNikki]

46. Where are you getting those #'s? Can you link to a source?

[PyaarRevolution]

28. Getting the tie despite the turnout given the Caucus date.

Shows Bernie has a wider pool of support than most people think as far as I'm concerned.

[Uncle Joe]

29. 2008 was the end of Bush the Least's catastrophic reign as well, Democrats were much more motivated

to turn out in order to avoid a repeat.

Eight years of war with Iraq and the housing/economic crisis was in full bloom as well.


Thanks for the thread, pnwmom.

[AZ Progressive]

31. More propaganda for people desperate to stop the attacks on Hillary the inevitable

Comeon, you guys wouldn't be so fervent if you couldn't stand Hillary being attacked.

[pnwmom]

33. The truth hurts. Turnout was far below Obama's level. Calling this propaganda

won't change that.

[PeaceNikki]

34. oh, ffs, it's DATA, not "propaganda" - the turnout was nowhere CLOSE to 2008.

lol

[randome]

40. Viva la revo...{yawn}...lution.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[TwilightGardener]

50. 2008--very different time, very different race, very different dynamics.

Repubs have been out of the WH now for 8 years, they want it back. Same as Dems in 2008 after the Bush debacle. It was more than just Obama. Not sure you can blame turnout on Bernie unless you also blame it on Clinton, since they were essentially 50/50.

[pnwmom]

53. I'm not blaming the turnout on him. I'm saying that Silver and others

said that he needed a very high turnout in order to win. So it isn't surprising, given the turnout, that he didn't.

[TwilightGardener]

55. Considering it was his first IA caucus and he appealed to young people

who might go to rallies but not actually "waste" an entire evening at a caucus, he virtually tied her. He's no Howard Dean. Remember that Hillary must have had a well-oiled "get out the vote" machine and had the party backing her there.

[kennetha]

52. But they got their target number.

They thought that they would win with a turnout of 170K. Bernie is on record saying as much.

Guess they were wrong.

[Lucinda]

54. I read it was their 2nd highest total, right after Obama in 08

Don't have the link handy, only the one where the IDP was thrilled with turnout.

[beachbum bob]

57. among young voters yes...but nowhere else...that has most of explanation

why less turn out...really not a movement for bernie outside the college crowd...unlike Obama in 2008

[mhatrw]

58. Thanks, Debbie!

Thanks, corporate media!

[Fearless]

66. And who's fault is that??

Debates on weekends... Limited debates... DWS is culpable of a Republican is the next president.

[Vote2016]

67. Did Hillary get fewer supporters in the 2016 Iowa caucus than in her 3rd place finish in 2008?

[frylock]

72. The FUD is flying fast and furious tonight!

Must've been a spirited meeting for Team Hillary after her decisive victory in Iowa.

[vadermike]

77. ok

Everything i am hearing and reading about with this turnout combine with no real support for either Dem candidate i the General i think we might be too late.. i am afraid to be right.. you could be looking at President Rubio shortly.. Dems are not motivated to even vote.. this will be worse than 14 cause once the GOP has the Presidency turn the lights out.. there won't be Dem party anymore.. one - party state as far as the eye can see.. i hope im wrong...

[karynnj]

83. It is likely not JUST Bernie who brought out fewer people

If it were and those missing nearly 70,000 would have caucused for him -- Hillary would have lost in a landslide. Bernie would have gotten nearly 60%. So... no I don't think Clinton got her voters out in force.

[Bread and Circus]

84. This is a very bad sign for Clinton and for Democrats just so you know.

Just imagine the bad turnout if Sanders werent running.

[LexVegas]

86. Bernie couldn't carry Barack Obama's jockstrap. nt

[AgingAmerican]

87. Thanks for that Debbie Wasserman Schultz!

Thanks for burying the Democratic party on page 11 for months and months Debbie!