Polls show Bernie Sanders popularity among all voters is plummeting

[MineralMan]

12. Hillary was very unpopular with many voters, although

she still managed to win the popular vote. Some of Senator Sanders popularity was due to the comparison between just him and Hillary. Right now, early in 2019, Bernie is one of 20 candidates in the Democratic primary race. It's not a two-person situation at all, and he's being compared by individual voters to several others at the same time.

For many Democratic voters, other candidates have a very strong appeal, for their youth, energy, and gender associations. Now, there's another factor, Joe Biden, who is decidedly not Hillary Clinton. Instead, he's another older man in the race. At the moment, people are comparing Sanders to Biden, specifically. That's because Biden is a top story right now.

In general political polling, positions on issues are only part of the reason for results. Other factors are at play, sometimes taking precedence over political stances. If Bernie's popularity ratings are going down, it could easily be that, of the two older men, Biden is simply more likable. Sanders is the curmudgeonly old guy, while Biden is the grandpa who bounces babies on his knee. Figuratively, of course.

In the primary voting booth, both political stances and popularity are in play. It's not going to be a two-person thing when people actually mark their ballots. For those who consider positions on issues to be the most important thing, they have many candidates from which to choose. When it comes to personality, the same is true. When it comes to the question of who can beat Trump, which is going to be high in the decision-making factors for many voters, Biden will probably come out on top in most states.

And that's what I think will determine who ends up with the most delegates at actual primary voting time. Who can beat Trump? If that's the main factor, then Biden is going to win primaries in multiple states. He'll get the votes of those who ask that question, and the others will get votes from people who consider issue positions to be the most important. But, those people's votes are going to be spread among many candidates. Biden wins the popularity vote and the Who can beat Trump? vote, I think.