For weeks now, we’ve been hearing all this noise about Bernie Sanders surging in the race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. But, where is the evidence of this alleged momentum? Let’s take a look…
Four years ago, Bernie received 49.6% of the support from Iowa caucus participants. This time out, with roughly the same turnout as 2016, he only managed approximately half of that tally.
Yes, Sanders faces an expanded field of candidates. But, bottom line, if the surge was real, wouldn’t he have been able to sustain the same level of support as last time around, regardless of how many names are under consideration? If he was actually gaining momentum, wouldn’t he be adding to a solid, steadfast 49.6% instead of languishing in the 20-some percentile? And, if his supporters actually had the level of commitment and fervor they constantly claim, wouldn’t caucus participation be closer to 2008 levels, when a young Senator from Illinois injected such organic excitement into the Dem’s primary process?
So, regardless of the final Iowa tally, any claim of a Sanders surge rings of pure spin. Bernie is reputed to be the anti-politician, the guy who, above all else, can always be trusted to deliver the straight poop. So, let’s get real, Bernie… can you really call it momentum when you still have such a long way to go to catch up to where you stood at this point in the last primary cycle?