Obama needed 16.5 million independents and Republicans to vote for him to defeat Romney

[Bad Thoughts]

Using some rough estimates about the composition of the 2012 electorate, President Obama needed some significant percentage of the non-Democratic voting population to vote for him to be re-elected.

He received approximately 44.5 million votes from Democrats alone, which would put him about 16.5 million short of Romney's total in the popular vote. That means Obama needed about 45.5% of the so-called independents and Republicans to vote for him.

Of course, popular vote does not elect the president: the Electoral College does. Nevertheless, even 45.5% is not a number that can be easily dismissed.

Clinton or Sanders will need them.

[apnu]

1. Yes. Anybody who's watches American politics for more than a cycle knows this.

Every election is a battle for America's middle, those who don't subscribe to one or the other of the two main parties. Secondary to that, each election is about getting loyalists out to vote.

Both sides need the Independents.

[HooptieWagon]

4. Most independents aren't the middle.

They are the left and right. Hillary is going out of her way to piss off the left, and the right will never vote for her.

[Bad Thoughts]

5. Generally, they are more right ... very right.

They will never vote for a Democrat. However, there are a lot of "left-leaners" whom any Dem will need.

[apnu]

7. by "middle" I mean not Democratic or Republican.

Yes, most Americans fall somewhere on the left or the right. Some closer to the center and some further away.

But we're talking about "Independents", meaning people who do not specify a party affiliation, ergo if they are not Democratic, or Republican, or Green, or Consitution, or Libertarian, or whatever else small party you can think of, they are "independent"

So my point stands since we are talking about parties and not political leanings.

[revbones]

2. It's funny. If it's Clinton she might get them

but only because of fear of Trump rather than her actually earning them.

What does that say about you as a candidate, being only elected because you were up against a fascist?

[Bad Thoughts]

3. Fighting Fascism created some shakey coalitions. eom.

[Attorney in Texas]

6. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling a broken candidacy!