Pundits talk frequently about how volatile the Democratic primary has been, with voters switching allegiances and candidates rising and falling in a dizzying frenzy. One thing missing from all that analysis, though, is the thoughts of the actual voters doing all that switching. What’s driving them?

Over the last week, I asked readers of this newsletter to write me if they’ve switched candidates, tell me from whom to whom, and why. The answers — more than a hundred thoughtful responses — are fascinating. At root, people seem to be having a hard time settling on a candidate because of the unusually high stakes involved. Democrats see ousting Trump as a goal of existential importance, yet many see no obvious answer to the question of how that will be accomplished. The high-stakes produce a nervous energy that results in a lot of bouncing from one candidate to another. My story — actually, it’s more your story than it is mine — is here.

I’ll be reporting from Iowa this evening, filling in for Jeremy Scahill and hosting his podcast, Intercepted, which you can subscribe to here.

If you’re looking for something to read to kill the time between now and the caucus, and you’re not on the phones urging people to get out to vote, my 12,000 word look at the structure of the Sanders campaign’s organizing operation, and how it’s hoping to reshape the electorate, might do the trick.

Ryan Grim

Why do voters switch candidates? I asked, you…