"In all five elections since 1996, February matchup polls ..."

[Babel_17]

In all five elections since 1996, February matchup polls yielded average results within two points of the final outcome.

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/02/karp-bernie-sanders-electability-clinton-republicans-trump-election/

Why Bernie Can Win

The pundits are wrong. Bernie Sanders is the most electable candidate this November.
by Matt Karp

Here are some to the point snips from the well written, but long, article. They weren't presented in the article like I'm displaying them here. I'm trying to obey the limits on copy/pasting.

According to national polls, nearly 53 percent of Americans have an unfavorable impression of Clinton, which would make her the most disliked presidential nominee in modern history. Even if incumbents are included, the only candidate with worse numbers was Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Sanders’s favorability ratio of 51 percent positive to 38 percent negative is the best of any candidate in the race, by far. His favorability with independent voters is also much higher than any of his rivals, including Clinton, Trump or Rubio.

There is simply no historical precedent for a major party nominee as popular and well-known as Sanders collapsing in a general election.

What a thorough and amazing analysis at that link. He covers everything I could hope to see covered. He shreds to a mist the McGovern analogy.

Please read it, and pass it along!

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/02/karp-bernie-sanders-electability-clinton-republicans-trump-election/

P.S. http://www.commondreams.org/author/matt-karp

"Matt Karp is an assistant professor of history at Princeton University and a Jacobin contributing editor."

https://history.princeton.edu/people/matthew-j-karp

https://www.jacobinmag.com/about/

Raison d’être

Jacobin is a leading voice of the American left, offering socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture. The print magazine is released quarterly and reaches over 15,000 subscribers, in addition to a web audience of 700,000 a month.
Well-Deserved

The appearance of Jacobin magazine has been a bright light in dark times. Each issue brings penetrating, lively discussions and analyses of matters of real significance, from a thoughtful left perspective that is refreshing and all too rare. A really impressive contribution to sanity, and hope.

— Noam Chomsky

Jacobin, whose ninth issue just landed, has certainly been an improbable hit, buoyed by the radical stirrings of the Occupy movement and a bitingly satirical but serious-minded style.

— Jennifer Schuessler for the New York Times

I really like Jacobin — it’s very explicitly on the radical left, and sort of hostile to liberal accommodationism. There’s a lot in there that I don’t necessarily agree with, but it’s bracingly rigorous and polemical in a really thought-provoking way. It’s a really well-done publication, almost preternaturally good.

— Chris Hayes, host of All In w/ Chris Hayes

I love Jacobin, both the content and spirit. In a time of torpor bordering on despair, it’s great to see the youth embracing radical politics and serious thinking while also having some fun. And it’s a print magazine that looks great, too. Everyone should subscribe.

— Doug Henwood, Left Business Observer

[Babel_17]

1. Tip of the hat to the Salon article that gave me the link

https://www.salon.com/2016/02/28/the_case_against_hillary_clinton_this_is_the_disaster_democrats_must_avoid/

You like what Bernie’s calling for, but you just don’t think he’s likely to win the general election, perhaps because “this country would never elect a socialist.” And even if he did win, you don’t think he’d be able to accomplish his goals, given how entrenched the GOP opposition is. Maybe you even think it’s already settled—that Hillary’s got the nomination locked up.

Here’s why going with that assumption—and backing Hillary in general—would be, in the words of Donald Trump, a disaster.

Contrary to conventional pundit wisdom, Hillary is not the stronger general-election candidate.

So far Clinton seems to have retained the status of favorite for the Democratic nomination. But there are strong signs that it’s Sanders who would fare better against the eventual GOP nominee.

[ms liberty]

2. Excellent article. K&R. n/t

[KoKo]

3. Good Read...

[Jenny_92808]

4. The unfavorable favorite

"...she (Hillary) profiles as a comparatively weak general election candidate."