2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Hillary has a problem & it's not Bernie's fault. If she cannot turn this around [View all]And some pundits not researchers say no. Researchers show a mixed bag. And in some instances like 2008, primary turn out was huge but GE turnout was still lower than 2004.
The other parts of the analysis are concerned with the types of election years they are. 2008 could be a win for the D's because even though turnout was low, Obama was a change and it was time for the D's to be allowed to take back the White House. Americans are loathe to allow one party to control the White House for longer than 8 years with very very few exceptions.
This year is not a change year. In fact it is the R's turn historically. A clear non-establishment candidate won the GOP nomination in a anti-establishment change election. On the left, however, it is still a battle between the establishment and the non-establishment candidate. If Clinton cinches it, she will likely lose because of the zeitgeist. Independents and youth will sit this one out or vote third party or just down ticket. They are being slammed, insulted, dismissed, and marginalized, and that is not just white males - women, AA's, latino's, and LGBT. They are not monolithic voting blocks and Clinton has not done well with under 45 years in all demographics.