I’m here to make a very confident prediction: Bernie Sanders will win the Democratic nomination for president, and subsequently the presidency itself.
The evidence is in the Iowa polls:
The new Iowa Poll continues to show that Clinton does better with older Democrats and Sanders does better with younger ones. Clinton draws support from 64 percent of those 65 or older, while Sanders draws support from 58 percent of those younger than 45.
She also leads among voters age 50 and older (63% to 26%), while Sanders actually has the advantage among likely caucusgoers who are under 50 years old (48% to 38% for Clinton).
By Age Group:
18-29: Hillary 27%, Bernie 70%
30-44: Hillary 47%, Bernie 51%
45-64: Hillary 51%, Bernie 40%
65+: Hillary 65%, Bernie 30%
The evidence is in the New Hampshire polls:
By Age Group:
18-45: Hillary 39%, Bernie 41%
46-65: Hillary 43%, Bernie 46%
65+: Hillary 55%, Bernie 35%
By Age Group:
18-29: Hillary 22%, Bernie 75%
30-44: Hillary 35%, Bernie 63%
45-64: Hillary 56%, Bernie 40%
65+: Hillary 50%, Bernie 48%
Bernie Sanders holds overwhelming leads with the crowd of younger voters who will eventually supplant the older Democrats in the party. This indicates that Bernie Sanders is the one whose ideology most closely matches the future Democratic Party. It further indicates that Hillary is currently leading SOLELY because old people are too scared of socialism to give Bernie Sanders a chance. As usual, the boomers are screwing things up for my generation, just like they screwed up our country and turned it into the right wing wasteland it has become. Now they’re intent on keeping my party from fixing their mess.
Sadly, it does appear that Bernie Sanders the man is going to lose the nomination … in 2016. Old people vote more consistently and by a greater proportion than young people, and their choice is clear: More of the same thing they voted for in the 80s with Reagan, 90s with Clinton, 00s with Bush, and 10s with Obama.
But that’s okay. In the end, we young progressives are going to win. It may take a decade or two before Millennials are numerous enough to end neoliberalism in our party. But as these polls indicate, Bernie Sanders owns the heart and soul of the party’s future. He may not be the person to win the presidency in 2016 (though I will vote for him, as should you; and maybe we can win a miracle), but mark my words: There will be a day in the not-so-distant future when Bernie Sanders will win the Democratic nomination. His ideology will live on in the hearts of those who will vote for him in the coming months. He has planted the seed of the future, and that seed will one day bear the fruit of his struggle. In that sense, he is our Goldwater — a man who will lose, but whose ideas will live on and grow and spread.
Hillary Clinton is the past. Bernie Sanders is the future. And I take great comfort in that thought.