Radical progressive Abdul El-Sayed's victory over the more moderate Haley Stevens in this week's Michigan Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate is the latest example of the Democratic Party's civil war. While far-left, socialist-sympathizing candidates keep prevailing in Democratic primaries, a recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll showed that most Americans would not support them for president.
By The Numbers:
Overall, only 39% of Americans said they would consider voting for a president who identifies as a democratic socialist, while 55% said they would not. Among registered voters, only 42% said they’d consider supporting a democratic socialist for president, while 54% said they wouldn’t.
Only 10% of Republicans said they’d consider supporting a democratic socialist, while 88% said they would not. Among Democrats, 75% said they’d consider supporting a democratic socialist, while 20% said they wouldn’t. Those numbers are not particularly surprising, but each party likely has a different understanding of what democratic socialism is. Among Independents, only 36% said they’d consider supporting a democratic socialist, while 54% said they wouldn’t.
The Bottom Line: Democrats are about to learn that candidate quality and location matters. While a far-left, democratic socialist candidate may succeed in New York City or a deep-blue congressional district, that type of candidate may not be palatable in a swing state like Michigan. Such candidates may rally the Democratic base yet alienate Independent voters and energize the Republican base to turn out against them as well.
