SACRAMENTO — In a community college gym near the California state Capitol building here Sunday, Hillary Clinton made one of her last stops in the Golden State before voting begins in the last major contest on the Democratic calendar.
Buoyed by a new focus on Donald Trump and primary contest math that has all but guaranteed her nomination, Clinton has shifted to the general election.
The rise of Trump, and close of primary voting, is forcing Democratic voters who took a strong stance against Clinton and felt the Bern to make a choice. What to do in November?
After a primary battle that surprised the Clinton-supporting Democratic establishment and put the outsider Sanders much closer to the nomination than even the Vermont senator ever predicted that it would, there is rampant speculation among Democrats about what Bernie supporters will do next. Polls have shown that the vast majority of Sanders supporters will back Clinton against Trump, but the loud #BernieOrBust movement on social media has left some to speculate whether a significant portion of Sanders backers will ever unify with the Democratic nominee.
Hours away from Clinton's rally, Sanders was stumping in Southern California to try to pull out an upset win that his team says will keep the Sanders campaign afloat. Sanders has consistently promised a new phase for his campaign after California focused on superdelegates, the Democratic Party officials who can vote their conscience for nominee (the vast majority of them are backing Clinton). Bernie recently vowed that his campaign will carry on, all the way to a "contested convention."
Sanders' determination to stay in until the technical end of the Democratic primary — weeks past the phase where voters make their choice — has grated some Clinton supporters. They worry Sanders will make it hard for Clinton to keep her focus on Trump.
Thursday on No One Knows Anything: The BuzzFeed Politics Podcast, we'll take a look back at the Democratic primary. Our reporters have been crisscrossing California this week talking to Democratic voters about Sanders, Clinton, and Trump. Many of those voices will appear in the podcast.
Here's what 13 Sanders supporters at rallies across the northern part of the state told No One Knows Anything they'll do in November if their general election ballot reads Clinton versus Trump.
Jonathan Gow, student at UC Davis
Who will you vote for in November?
"[Green Party candidate] Jill Stein. I don't see myself voting for someone I don't believe in."
Are you worried supporting a third-party candidate will help Trump?
"At that point, I think it's not really my fault. If it does end up being Trump [in the White House,] that will probably strengthen the opposition party, if anything."
Franque Baines, San Francisco
Who will you vote for in November?
"I'm pretty sure it's going to be Hillary versus Trump. I'm going to vote for Hillary because she's the lesser of two evils. She's qualified at least, you know, being a politician and doing the work, and sat in the seats and talked to the people and not just, you know, being a billionaire reality TV star."
Rick Wathan, political consultant from Elk Grove
Who will you vote for in November?
"We're blue no matter who. We're going to vote the nominee."
What do you say to younger Sanders supporters who say they can never vote for Clinton?
"I think it's really shortsighted and naive to stay out of it, and I wish people would understand. Unfortunately we have a two-party system in this country. That's the reality. Do we want to shape it? Yes, of course. But in the end we're going to have two parties, and we have to make sure that we get the candidate in that best suits our values."
Shilah Johnson, a student at Solano Community College from Fairfield
Who will you vote for in November?
"Very likely that I will [vote for Clinton]."
Do most people you know feel the Bern?
"In my personal life, a lot of students I'm associated with are feeling the Bern. Not a lot of Hillary supporters. A lot of my family are Republicans. They can't stand him."
Mike Johnson, Fairfield (Shilah's husband)
Who will you vote for in November?
"I'd probably vote for Gary Johnson. The Libertarian platform lines up a lot better with what I think."
Isn't it kind of weird to be a Bernie-supporting libertarian?
"Bernie in particular...he's been very consistent throughout his career and I like that. But I don't agree with a lot of his policies, but I like that consistency. It's very unusual to see that in a politician. … He seems authentic. What he says is really what he believes."
Rich Jameson, Chico
Who will you vote for in November?
"My vote's going to be for Bernie Sanders. If Bernie Sanders doesn't it make it, I'll prompt my vote for him independently. Either as a write-in or an independent party candidate."
Do you worry that voting that way is basically voting for Donald Trump?
"Frankly, a Democratic Party without Bernie is helping Donald Trump. What choice do we have?"
Rachel Heiss, Modesto
Who will you vote for in November?
"Hillary. Even my parents, who have been Republican — we're what we call liberal conservatives — they're just like, we can't stand behind Trump and what he says about women and about families and about other religions. We're Christian, but we have friends who are other religions. The Bible says 'love,' it's not throwing hate around. And that's what he's doing."
Robert Cluff, a doctor from Antioch who was dressed like Uncle Sam
Who will you vote for in November?
"I certainly would [vote for Clinton]. I certainly would. I'm Democratic all the way."
Is that going to be a hard vote to cast?
"Let's get them both on the same ticket! I know they're from different poles on the Democratic side, but I'd love to see Bernie for president and Hillary for VP. We just have to get Hillary away from the love of money. She can't work for Wall Street and work for the people at the same time."
Jeff Williams, Chico
Who will you vote for in November?
"I don't want to vote for Hillary. But Hillary would be better than Trump. That's about as far as I can go."
Why not vote for someone else then?
"There would have to be some very interesting third person to vote for if I were to not vote for Hillary. I don't know who that would be. So it would be a grudging, hold-your-nose kind of vote."
Lindsay Floyd, Sacramento
Who will you vote for in November?
"Gary Johnson."
Why him?
"I don't know, I like what the Libertarian Party stands for."
Well then why are you a Bernie supporter?
"I trust him the most as a person. I don't agree with any of their stances really, so for me it's who's the least worst? And that's Bernie for me."
Nicole Oye, San Jose
Who will you vote for in November?
"Hillary is definitely the lesser of two evils to me, so it's going to be Hillary."
Why aren't you more excited about Clinton?
"It's like, ugh. I waited so long to vote [for the first time] and my choice is either Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? Meh, it's not the best choices. I'd rather see Bernie on the ticket."
Tony Szabo, Modesto
Who will you vote for in November?
"I will vote for Hillary if it's Trump versus Hillary."
What do you say to Bernie supporters who promise to vote for someone else?
"Over the years there have been elections where the the third-party candidate have made it easier for the Republicans to win. Democrats tend to be more liberal, more open-minded, and they're more likely to switch to a third party, while the Republicans, even with this terrible candidate that they have this year, they're still going to vote with their party. As much as we should have five or six different choices, I think we need to stick behind the Democrat."
Sarah Champion Ramos, student at UC Davis
Who will you vote for in November?
"I'm 23 years old. This is the first time I'm going to be voting. Anyone but Trump. I really want it to be Bernie — I don't even want to think about both of them being on there, I just want to vote for Bernie."