Elections have been won and lost due to one single person: the median voter.

While most of
the electorate will fall on either side of the political spectrum (Liberal and Republican), the
median voter represents the Plus One, and a more middle ground for ideologies. (Mitchell)
Because of the median voter, many politicians running for office will change key policies from
the primary to general elections in order to appeal to the median voter. On hot topic issues
such as Social Security, Healthcare, and military spending, the median voter usually wins.
(Cowen) So, if appealing to the median voter is a sure fire way of winning elections, why
doesn’t everyone do it? Bernie Sanders, in his 2016 Presidential Campaign, ran a fairly staunch
socialist platform. While appealing to millennials and many voters on the far left of the
spectrum, he was vocally critical of conservative views and his opponent at the time, Donald
Trump. Many Americans heard the word socialist, and immediately drew negative
connotations, including many liberals. However, Bernie did not waver from his platform, and in
my opinion, it is what lost him the Primary Election. While not behaving strategically and
appealing to the median voter, I feel he behaved ethically, for many of his policies would have
increased government involvement in many social and civil rights issues. By losing the primary
elections though, the vote went to Hilary Clinton, who ran a more moderately liberal campaign.