Trump supporters crossing over and voting for Sanders.This is why we like closed primaries.

[Demsrule86]

Things got weird in West Virginia Tuesday night.

Bernie Sanders won the state’s primary over Hillary Clinton, and while the delegates he collects will do nothing to knock the front-runner off her glide path to the Democratic nomination, it will give the insurgent candidate a much-needed shot of adrenaline during what could be a good month for him.

That part was expected. The rest was not.


MSNBC LIVE, 5/10/16, 4:39 PM ET


http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/trump-voters-boost-sanders-west-virginia

West Virginia, like other Southern and Appalachian states, is at the tail end of a long transition away from Democratic Party, which once ruled the South, to the GOP, the natural ideological home of its conservative voters.
Democratic voters still technically outnumber Republicans nearly two-to-one in the Mountain State, even though it hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 20 years, and isn’t likely to again for the foreseeable future.

Just over half – 51 percent – of West Virginia voters are registered Democrats, while just 29 percent are registered Republicans, according to data released by the secretary of state’s office. Another 17.6 percent of voters are independents.

Many of those Democrats, however, behave like Republicans, which helps explain why Donald Trump voters played a key role in putting Sanders over the top Tuesday.

A third of those who voted in West Virginia’s Democratic primary say they plan to back Trump in November, according to NBC News exit polls. Sanders won those voters by a wide margin.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/trump-voters-boost-sanders-west-virginia

[Thinkingabout]

1. Still will not be enough to gain enough delegates.

[Trust Buster]

2. Trump has his nomination wrapped up. His followers will take advantage of open Democratic primaries

to hurt Hillary. Democratic primaries should be closed. This is just represents one of many examples why.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Bernie's supporters seem to have no problem with that as long as Bernie is "winning".

I don't know how anyone can believe that allowing Republicans to choose the Democratic candidate is a good thing.

[jane123]

29. Bernie's message is one that resounds not only with democrats

and independents..it resounds with republicans as well. Personally, I don't have a crystal, perhaps you do, but from what I can tell middle class republicans in West Virginia have many of the same problems as democrats and independents in West Virginia..as a Bernie supporter I am glad that all Americans can vote the way they want and that all voters will be heard not just the ones that are chosen.....and as far as the "as long as Bernie is winning line"...perhaps you are just upset that your candidate lost badly...for whatever the reason....as far as the voting rules in West Virginia go, you'll have to take it up with the Secretary of State there....which is the advice we Bernie voters have been given time and time again by Hillary voters when "funny stuff" happened in states Hillary won since the beginning of this primary.

[JaneyVee]

30. They said they are voting for Trump in November.

[Arkansas Granny]

34. Did you hear that many of those who voted for Bernie yesterday plan to vote for Trump in November?

How does that make you feel? That is why I favor closed primaries. Vote for whoever you wish in the GE, that's your right, but let Democrats decide who the Democratic candidate will be.

[Fawke Em]

48. Because they believe Hillary will be the nominee. Duh.

[Demsrule86]

40. Well the Bernie voters

said they were voting for Trump over Sanders...not Clinton but Sanders.Thus it seems like they are kind of useless for us.

[Human101948]

4. Exactly why Hillary is such a weak candidate...

She can't attract voters from outside of her devoted followers. Part of the DNC's strategy to shrink the Democratic Party.

Lost the House.

Lost the Senate.

Lost 900 seats in legislative bodies across the county.

Next...the White House!

Pretty soon it will be small enough to drown in a bathtub.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. ,...but behind Sanders?

[Human101948]

10. Hillary barely beats the margin of error against Trump...

And loses in others.

Bernie does much better.

[Demsrule86]

41. I don't see how Bernie voters in a primary

who plan to vote for Trump over Sanders in the General are valuable to us ...so you are saying they 'reflect' Bernie's values? Some values. I am with her.

[Vinca]

5. That doesn't make sense since Bernie beats Trump by more than Hillary in the polls -

unless they think they're creating mayhem by keeping the Democratic primary going which is equally stupid. Hillary is free to go into general election mode at any time.

[inchhigh]

6. Those numbers just don't work

If 39% of Sanders voters (and 9% of Hillary's) really support Trump but only 18% are independents, that means some of those "Trump" supporters must actually BE democrats.

By closed, do you mean the primary should be limited to members of your own party WHO ALSO SUPPORT YOUR CANDIDATE?

That's a pretty small tent.


Many of those Democrats, however, behave like Republicans, which helps explain why Donald Trump voters played a key role in putting Sanders over the top Tuesday.

A third of those who voted in West Virginia’s Democratic primary say they plan to back Trump in November, according to NBC News exit polls. Sanders won those voters by a wide margin.

[global1]

19. I Think What You Are Missing Here Is That Voters On Both Sides Of The Aisle....

are fed up with establishment politics. That is why both Trump and Bernie have such followings.

Yes - some Dems will vote for Trump in the GE rather than Hillary because he doesn't represent the establishment. Yes - Independents will vote for Bernie because they can't stomach Trump and know Bernie is running an anti-establishment campaign.

So don't underestimate the power of the Independents - that are growing in numbers because they are fed up with both of the establishment Party's.

Instead figure out a way to harness the power of the Independents and pull them to our side.

[dsc]

23. they are Democrats in the same sense that my grandmother

who voted for every Democrat from Roosevelt to Obama was a Republican. They live in an overwhelmingly one party area and if they want any say in their local affairs they need to vote in a Democratic primary just like my grandmother had to vote in a GOP one to have any say in her local affairs.

[inchhigh]

31. Are you really implying

we should limit the voters in our primaries to "real" democrats? Whats the test?

[dsc]

37. No there is nothing we can do about this issue except bide our time

for the officials to catch up with the people. As more of the Kim Davis of this world change party so will the voters of those areas.

[Demsrule86]

42. Yes primaries should be limited

to those who are members...otherwise, you have mischief by mostly Republicans.

[inchhigh]

53. Or perhaps on the issues that matter

to these actual democrats, like war, trade, and gay rights, Trump is simply to the left of your candidate.

[berni_mccoy]

7. More Brock-O'Keefe propaganda. WV is a closed primary.

[berni_mccoy]

15. Not false. Republicans cannot cross over as OP claims.

[berni_mccoy]

17. It's up to you to prove your point which you can't because it's bullshit

[berni_mccoy]

21. My response is accurate as it stands. OP and article linked

are unrelated. OP is factless bullshit.

[disillusioned73]

39. I think u won that one..

since no-name is ghost..

[Demsrule86]

43. You response is not accurate

Independents can vote in the WVA primary.

[Demsrule86]

25. Independents can vote in the primary

And many Dems are really GOP...as they used to vote for Dems and still have their party affiliation ...last time WVA went for the Dems was 96, Also, you can change your party affiliation 21 days before a primary online...don't even have to go out. This is a state made for operation chaos.

[oberliner]

12. West Virginia has a "semi-closed" primary

That means that unaffiliated voters can vote in whichever primary they want.

[berni_mccoy]

14. Only 19% were unaffiliated. It's insulting to think

That these peoples voices don't matter when they've suffered economically for the failed trade policies of this country. Hillary offers them nothing but more of the same.

[Demsrule86]

22. coal was always their business

Last edited Wed May 11, 2016, 08:48 AM - Edit history (1)

They never had much else. Byrd brought home the bacon for them but not the righties have stopped allowing that so states like WVA suffer.

[oberliner]

38. Not saying those voices don't matter

Just seems strange that such a sizable chunk of those who voted for Bernie said they would vote for Trump in the general, even if Bernie was the Democratic nominee.

That suggests that some Trump supporters decided to vote in the Democratic primary just to mess with us (a la Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos).

[Demsrule86]

20. WVA has a hybrid primary

Independents can vote for whoever they want. The GOP and Dem people vote for their party. But West Virginia has many registered as Dems who have not voted Dem since 96. They hate Obama...the racist vote. Voters who said they voted for Sanders said they planned to vote for Trump over Sanders... operation chaos. This is why closed primaries are best. Thus, Sander's victory besides being meaningless in terms of math indicates what would happen in the fall...many Bernie supporters in other states are really Trump supporters that would not vote for him. I suspected as much after the right-wing judge was elected in Wisconsin.

[gollygee]

24. There are potential positives and negatives for both systems

The biggest plus is that independents who would vote in the general election get a say.

The biggest negative is this - that people from the other party can alter the outcome, and they particularly will if their vote doesn't matter in their own party's primary anymore.

Neither system is perfect.

[Demsrule86]

26. I opt for the system that allows

people who belong to the party to choose their candidate. Independents choose to be so..they can join a party...way to much risk of GOP shenanigans.

[B Calm]

28. I opt for the system that allows people to vote.

A closed primary is limiting political freedom, and is right wing authoritarian.

With 50% of voters now registered as independents because they feel their party no longer represents them, you would think party leaders would welcome them in the primary. So much for being inspired by a democratic candidate you can't vote for.

Seeing how independents will have a say in the general election, and will be voting for the nominee that the party nominates, it makes sense that they should have a say in who that nominee that they are voting for is. A closed primary is limiting political freedom and shrinking our democratic party.

[Demsrule86]

45. No

The primaries end at different times for the parties...what if the Hillary and Bernie were closer? They could conceivably pick our nominee by operation chaos which was obviously in play here...why else would Bernie supporters plan to vote for Trump and not Bernie in the fall.

[B Calm]

46. So you limit tax payers who pay for the primaries their basic right to vote for the

candidate that inspires them, got it!

[peace13]

27. This makes no sense.

If you want Trump to win in the GE you would vote for Hill. She is proven to be weaker in defending against Trump. Yea if they did vote for Bernie. At least he will give Trump a fight!

[B Calm]

32. Exactly, it doesn't make sense. It's being pushed by people who support limiting people's

basic right to vote. Primaries are paid by tax payers and tax payers (regardless of which party they are registered to) should have the right to vote for the candidate that inspires them.

[lunamagica]

54. It may no make sense to you, but they said they will vote for Trump in Nov. That is a fact

Oviously they see Sanders as the weaker candidate. -which he is.

[pangaia]

33. So Hillary is on her 'glide path' to the nomination, eh?

A commercial transport (any aircraft, for that matter) on final approach is at the second most dangerous point in a flight, after take off. All those flaps and leading edge slats hanging out, gear hangin' in the wind, all producing gobs of drag. Plus lower power settings with less and less time to spool up...in case....

She will never make the runway.....

[blackspade]

35. Another pathetic M$M hit piece.

[pengu]

36. Is this today's Brocking Point?

[bemildred]

44. We like being able to vote for who we want. Deal with it. nt

[B Calm]

47. They can't deal with it. They know if every primary were open, Hillary would be so far behind

she would have dropped out after NY.

[Tarc]

49. The point is, people who would've voted for Trump if the GOP WVa race was competitive

crossed over to prop up Sanders, the weaker candidate.

[bemildred]

51. Yes, and they might vote in the general too. Still voting for the "weaker" candidate.

Who's going to prevent them?

[ieoeja]

50. They *are* Democrats.

In the general election they will be voting for local Democrats at many different levels like the State House. But half of them always vote for a Republican President.

[texstad79]

52. They may be registered as Democrats

but I don't think they share any of the party's core values. Over 40 percent of them voted for a felon over President Obama in the 2012 primaries.

[frylock]

55. You can enjoy your closed GE then.