I always felt something was contrived in the 2016 Democratic Primaries. Based mostly on the super delegate count, Sanders getting just 48 out of the 712. I always chalked that up to Sanders being an independent running in the democratic primaries, he didn't register as a democrat until the primaries began if I remember right. So it could have been party loyalty for a lifelong democrat over a newly registered one. I don't know.
I really didn't pay much attention to it. I started out supporting Jim Webb, when he didn't campaign, I switch to John Kaisch and once he was gone, I moved on to Gary Johnson and voted for him in 2016. More of a protest vote against both Clinton and Trump. But a vote I wanted officially registered as being against both. Me and 9 million others voted the same. 12% of independents and 6% of all Americans.
2016 was Sanders chance. He was only one of three candidates to be viewed more favorably than unfavorably by all Americans. Kasich and Rubio were the others. The two chosen, all Americans viewed Trump 36% favorable/60% unfavorable, Clinton 38% favorable/56% unfavorable. Among independents only, Trump 40% favorable/57% unfavorable, Clinton 27% favorable/70% unfavorable. Independents went for Trump 46-42 with 12% voting third party against both.
Trump and Clinton set the record for the lowest favorable and highest unfavorable of any major party candidates ever. They're the only two to be seen favorably by less than 40% of all American and the only two to have unfavorable's above 50%. Even Goldwater back in 1964 had better marks than Trump and Clinton in 2016. Barry had a 43% favorable and 47% unfavorable. Until 2016, Goldwater was the only major party candidate to have an unfavorable rating higher than his favorable.
