The argument, basically, is that Clinton doesn't inspire a get-out-the-vote campaign the way Trump does. No matter how you do the math, the vote is the vote - and I get it, trump is a "populist" candidate. But the populist movement this year, on that side, is "keep the goddamn Darkies out of the country" while the populist movement this year, on this side, is "oh shit there's a Nazi running for President" with some "also, make weed legal" thrown in for good measure. For every argument you can make for the populism of Trump, an argument can be made for the populism against Trump. Clinton hasn't even accepted the nomination yet. Sanders endorsed her yesterday. Arguing the ground operations in November from here in July is... well, premature. And we could debate "grass roots" vs. "astroturf" from here to the moon and back but... Fuck Bubba's cousins. Trump gets coverage by saying outlandish shit. Now that we're in the general election, every outlandish thing Trump says gets an automatic rebuttal in the press. Every campaign ad doesn't. And Clinton simply has more money. I hear what you're saying. But the disaffected white guy vote doesn't balance out the are-you-fucking-kidding-with-that-taco-salad Hispanic vote or the polling-at-zero-in-multiple-states African American vote.
What's funny to me is the same people who laugh and point at the divided Republican party somehow see it as an unstoppable juggernaut when they consider the Democrats. Clinton has been the obvious nominee since 2012. Sanders made a hell of a run at it and good on 'im but it's kind of amazing that Clinton's nomination was ever even vaguely in doubt. On the other hand, Not. A Single. Former President. is endorsing Trump. None of them went to the convention. At the glee-club unifying rally, Trump's biggest rival basically told him to get stuffed. The Koch brothers are sitting it out. Bloomberg, the Republican Dark Horse White Knight, endorsed the other party. Yet Michael Moore brings up "grass roots" and people lap it up like it makes sense.
That has always been the case, though. The R's are a fucking machine. They have this shit wired. On the other hand, all you ever needed to do to destroy the Democratic party is put two of them in a room together. This election cycle has broken that decades-long narrative, though, and now the R's can't find their ass with both hands. What's funny to me is the same people who laugh and point at the divided Republican party somehow see it as an unstoppable juggernaut when they consider the Democrats.
And that all plays into the trump narrative. US vs them the 1% vs the rest of America. For a lot of people the sanders vote wasn't an endorsement of sanders it was a not Clinton vote. You underestimate how pissed off people are and now many there are. See brexit