User:EtienneDolet/Bernie or Bust

Bernie or Bust (also expressed with the hashtag #BernieorBust) refers to the sentiment held by some supporters of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders in the 2016 United States presidential election who do not plan to vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and who may be considering leaving the Democratic Party altogether. The Bernie or Bust movement has been criticized, mostly by Democrat liberals and New Democrats, as aiding Donald Trump to win the election.

Beginnings
The Bernie or Bust movement stems from distrust of the Democratic Party establishment and the party's primary system. Those using the phrase have accused the party of bias in favor of Hillary Clinton since about December 2015, culminating in leaked emails just prior to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. In an interview with CNN, activist YanNe' Ndgo explained that the movement stems not as much from admiration for Sanders, but from distrust of Clinton, explaining "We don’t trust what she says and we don’t like what she’s done".

Sanders has repeatedly stated that he would vote for Clinton in the general election in order to avoid a "disastrous" Trump presidency and encourages his supporters to do the same, taking a position opposite of the Bernie or Bust movement. On July 12, 2016, Sanders formally endorsed Clinton at a rally in New Hampshire, and suspended his campaign on July 26, 2016, during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He has since distanced himself from the Bernie or Bust movement.

Significance
According to a poll by Quinnipiac University during the primary election, 75% of Sanders supporters would support Clinton if she were to become the Democratic Party's nominee. A McClatchy-Marist poll had similar findings, claiming that 1 in 4 Sanders supporters would not back Clinton. A Pew Research poll also shows the 85% of Sanders' supporters will vote for Clinton in the general election.

Impact on the election
The Bernie or Bust movement is often cited as one of the contributing factors to Hillary Clinton's loss in the general elections. Traditionally blue states that Bernie Sanders won during the primaries, such as Michigan and Wisconsin, became Trump victories while voter turn-out was low. A poll conducted by Gravis showed that most voters on election day continued to support Bernie Sanders over Donald Trump. Huntington Post writes about the poll: "“The national survey of more than 1,600 registered voters, conducted by Gravis Marketing two days before the general election, found that Sanders would have received 56 percent of the vote while Trump would have won 44 percent. The poll was commissioned and financed by outgoing Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, a Democrat who endorsed Sanders in the presidential primary.”"

The poll also found that Sanders would have done better than both Trump and Clinton with independent voters. The poll has found that Sanders did better with Trump 55 percent to 45 percent with independent voters. According to exit polls, Clinton lost to independents by 48 percent to 42 percent.

Controversies
In her speech during the convention, comedian Sarah Silverman urged other Sanders supporters to back Hillary Clinton and later said that Bernie or Bust people are "being ridiculous."