Today, in an online discussion with Democrats, they expressed how they desperately don't want New York state governor Andrew Cuomo or Newark Mayor Corey Booker to be a Democratic Presidential nominee. That surprised me.
In 2012, the electorate was 35% conservative/25% liberal/40% moderate. In 2008, it was 34%/22%/44%.
The way people identify themselves should tell you that any candidate perceived as being too liberal is going to lose. Bill Clinton won because he was perceived as being centrist but we also need to remember that Bill got 43% of the vote. Barack Obama won because he was perceived as being centrist but we also need to remember that the Republican brand was so unpopular, especially after the meltdown, that Democrats could've nominated the coat room clerk and he probably would've won.
Obama and the Democrats faced enormous backlash when they moved to the left in 2009-2010 and they didn't even go far enough to satisfy progressives. When Obama ran for re-election he clung to the center. They may want a President with positions like Elizabeth Warren, but anyone running for President on a progressive platform would lose.
They might think Booker or Cuomo would be bad Presidents but they scare Republicans because they could win. The GOP hopes the Democrats nominate someone the Kos finds acceptable.
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