Hill's Group: Hawaii/Idaho/Michigan/Mississippi primaries

[BlueMTexpat]

From PEC's Sam Wang

http://election.princeton.edu/2016/03/08/hawaiiidahomichiganmississippi-primaries/#more-14546

There are lots of comments about the Rep race. Just a tiny paragraph on the Dems.

Democratic races: nothing to say, except that Hillary Clinton is getting more votes than Bernie Sanders. By Democratic Party rules, that means that she is also getting more pledged delegates. She continues to be on track for the nomination.

IMO, what is most interesting is the Comments section:

One says that Dems would be better advised to stop sending $$$ to Bernie and saving it for the GE instead. In response, there is this:

Mood and priorities are being set now. Sanders is showing Clinton what she is missing with a large segment of the Democratic base, similar to what Trump is showing the Republican establishment. The Republicans are already getting disproportionate air time so keeping the contest going is actually not a bad thing at this point. Hillary would get barely a mention on the news if it weren’t for Bernie right now.

Another poster says this about the Dems:

Given the polling, the best case scenario for Sanders is keeping Hillary Clinton to under 100 delegates. Worst case, she increases her lead by 100 delegates.
The race would be all but over at that point.

In response, there is this:

...If Sanders wants to make this a race again it would have to be by winning Michigan. The rust belt is about the last delegate-rich area not yet tested in a vote, so if Sanders is going to significantly exceed his targets in states (Silver has his target in Michigan as a win, 67/130) he’d better start tonight with at least not digging that hole he’s in any deeper.
...

Anyway, this is just to share some thoughts from wonky statistician types.

[LisaM]

1. I completely agree having two candidates makes it a better primary season for Dems

I thought that in 2008, too. I'm not sure where people on the Sanders side think this demand that he drops out is coming from. It's as mythical as these so-called loyalty oaths that I keep hearing about.

That said, I do tire of the relentless negativity and real meanness. That can't end soon enough for me. But I like a spirited contest.

[BlueMTexpat]

2. Yes, I like that the two-person race at least

keeps the Dems in the news because the GOPers certainly dominate every cycle.

But the unhinged negativity against Hillary MUST stop and the alert-stalking of Clinton supporters and of AAs, whether Clinton supporters or not, MUST also stop.