More Clinton supporters voted for McCain than Bernie supporters voted for Trump

[Pericles]

Bernie was much nicer to Hillary than Hillary was to Obama in 2008, or indeed how Trump’s primary opponents were to Trump. I have always found attributing Clinton’s defeat to the primary weird because the Republican primary was much, much more divisive. Ted Cruz literally said at the Republican convention for people to “vote their conscience”, Bernie did not do anything remotely close to the kind of negativity Republican presidential contenders directed at Trump. So even if the Democratic primary hurt Clinton, the Republican primary surely must have hurt Trump just as much or probably more.

[Pericles]

Additionally, let's say roughly the same amount if Democrats defected in 2016 as in 2008. This still shows Clinton was to blame for her loss, Obama was a good enough candidate that he could get 365 EV anyway while Clinton could only get 232. Candidates are always going to be vulnerable to outside factors, the good candidates overcome them and win anyway and the bad candidates succumb to them and lose.