Why is it that Dem voters don't embolden candidates to stay left?

[Sheepshank]

why is it that candidates feel they cannot win unless the wander to the center?

Personally, I wonder if a candidate cannot count on their constituency, they will go with the money.

[Scuba]

1. We do, but the forces of the media, elected pols and DLC/Third Way types ignore it, make it go away.

http://www.democracyjournal.org/arguments/2013/09/politicians-think-american-voters-are-more-conservative-than-they-really-are.php

When we compare what legislators believe their constituents want to their constituents’ actual views, we discover that politicians hold remarkably inaccurate perceptions. Pick an American state legislator at random, and chances are that he or she will have massive misperceptions about district views on big-ticket issues, typically missing the mark by 15 percentage points.

What is more, the mistakes legislators make tend to fall in one direction, giving U.S. politics a rightward tilt compared to what most voters say they want. As the following figures show, legislators usually believe their constituents are more conservative than they actually are. Our attitude measurements are most accurate on the questions about same sex marriage and universal health insurance – and in both instances the legislators’ guesses about their constituents’ views were 15-20 percent more conservative, on average, than the true public support for same-sex marriage or universal health care present in their districts.

Our study also found that politicians don’t learn in the normal course of events. After November 2012, we posed the same questions again to some candidates. Even after conducting campaigns and seeing the results, politicians did not arrive at more accurate perceptions of constituent views—not even those who had spent more time talking to voters. Much remains to be learned about why U.S. legislators think constituents are more conservative than they truly are, but researchers have found that politically active citizens tend to be wealthier and more conservative than others. Politicians who want to represent all the people in their districts need to keep this in mind.

Our findings also suggest that progressive groups might be able to use a simple lobbying strategy—just let legislators know the truth about what their constituents think and want! Most of the time, legislators will discover that their constituents are more liberal than they suppose. Would that lead to policy change? It is an open question, but some research suggests that public opinion can influence what politicians do. Perhaps helping representatives perceive their constituents correctly could pave the way for public policies closer to what Americans really want.

[winter is coming]

2. I think you've got it backwards:

candidates will go with the money unless they're sure it will hurt them significantly with their constituency.

[stillwaiting]

4. They often will go with the money even then.

For if they "lose", they will be rewarded with a HIGHLY lucrative job. Once elected in this country a politician can't lose if they serve monied interests (if all they care about is themselves and their family).

We have to change laws before the system will begin working for regular Americans.

Although I agree with you that the OP has it backwards. There are PLENTY of posters on DU that not only allow, but enable politicians to tack to the center/center-right on economic issues.

[djean111]

3. Once elected, it seems most go with the money, anyway.

If you are talking about Hillary, she was never Left.

[Sheepshank]

6. Not necessarily talking about Hillary

but so many candidates get so many splintered and conflicting chatter of what a constituency will or will not support.

Then of course there is always the fall back of even people here on DU no longer voting for the "lesser of two evils". If a candidate cannot have their own constituency behind them in a greater than 50% of voter support, they will shoot for re-election via the money game.

I think Dems have been gnawing off their own foot while wishing for a great leader, not realizing THEY have a huge hand in creating that great leader.

[onecaliberal]

5. Dem voters don't even show up to the poll consistently.

They vote for candidates over and over who have demonstrated they don't care for their constituents. Instead of seeking real progressives we seem to keep doing the things we've always done which has gotten us to where we are now and is basic insanity.

[leftstreet]

7. Why do left-leaning politicians abandon their voters?

Once they're in office they no longer attempt to motivate the support that got them the job

[Sheepshank]

11. do you have an answer?

I happen to think it's in part because the voters are not firmly behind their candidate, with a unified purpose.

All of those teams of single issue voters that pull their elected offical in a dozen different directions...the candidate can't win, no matter which way they go...at least in part.

Voters are notoriously flakey and with short term memories....it's this group that I think undermines so much concerted effort. How does the constituency gain strong creditbility and embolden their candidated to stay true to their platform?

[leftstreet]

13. Seriously?

[onecaliberal]

14. Because we don't boot them when they

abandon us.

[DanTex]

8. Money is a big part of it.

On the right, there's big money funding the tea party, and primarying congresspeople from the right. That's because the fringe right-wing people are even more corporate friendly than the mainstream GOP.

But on the left, there's no equivalent source of funding.

[TheKentuckian]

9. Because there are no adverse consequences for going with the money

And there are plenty of Democrats that are fine with it and no shortage that actually want them to go for the money and think liberal means not being an open bigot or a racist, after that ANYTHING GOES.

[leftyohiolib]

10. because dem pols cant count on the left to vote such as in 2010

[frylock]

17. the left voted ffs. independents, young voters, and minorities stayed home..

how many fucking times does this nonsense have to be debunked?

[WeAreKochs]

12. Both Parties

This is true in both parties. The general rule is that the base gets you through the primary but that you need to appeal to a broader constituency to win a general election. There are not enough "hard-core liberals" or "hard-core conservatives" to carry a majority. You absolutely need to maintain their support, as they form the bulk of the grassroots supporters even in the run up to the general election. But, you message needs to have broader appeal to actually win the general election with a majority of the vote.

[Douglas Carpenter]

19. The Republican Party of today is completely and absolutely dominated by people who would have been

considered rightwing extremist even in the Reagan era of the 1980's while the Democratic Party is completely dominated by people who would have been considered moderate to moderately conservative Republicans in the 1980's. There is no other western democracy in the world where today's Republican Party would not be considered far right extremist. Just as there is no other western democracy in the world where today's Democratic Party would not be considered center right conservatives.

[WillowTree]

15. They actually have to BE Left in the first place in order to stay Left.

[Chathamization]

16. Few voters vote in the primaries. Even fewer pay attention to issues and not personalities.

Fewer still get involved in efforts outside of the election booth. Politicians do what they can to get them elected. If someone isn’t going to get many votes or volunteers for a particular stance, but will get a lot of money for it, then they’ll go in that direction. The positions that are taking are mostly those that they feel will get them elected.

[Douglas Carpenter]

18. For the left - the far right plays the bad cop while the centrist dems plays the good cop

To raise enough money and to win enough respect from the media - is very difficult for non centrist democrats. Also, ultimately the establishment democrats know that all but a very small minority of the left will ultimately support them come hell or high water, anyway - choosing the pathetic over the crazy -