Running to the left/right in the primaries and the center during the general, today vs. the past

[DavidDvorkin]

That's long been the practice in American politics. Repubicans run to the right and Democrats to the left during the primary season, because primary voters tend to be more passionate and hardcore than the general electorate. Once the nominations are secured, both candidates rush toward the center, where the mass of general election voters are presumed to be.

That has worked in general in the past because only those hardcore, passionate voters were paying attention during the primary season. Most of the voters in the general election don't know what the candidates said during the primary season, so the candidates can safely shift their positions.

I wonder if that's still so true, though. Debates like the one last night are broadcast nationwide, and there's lots of video recordings of candidates saying things during the primary season that should come back to haunt them during the general.

Will it come back to haunt them next fall? Or are most voters still so unaware and/or gullible that nothing has really changed, despite nationwide broadcasts and videos?

(Yes, I know that video recording has been around for a long time, but it's far more ubiquitous now. There are people making good recordings on their cell phones, for example. News crews with expensive equipment don't have to be present.)