Didn’t see a thread started probably because what’s the point. I’m looking at the early returns and in the Dem race (WV) it looks like 9% didn’t vote for Clinton or Sanders. Who are they voting for?
The ballot (PDF) has four other options. Martin O’Malley and three random people. (One is federal inmate Keith Judd, who ran against Obama in the 2012 primary and got over 40% of the vote.)
Color me floored that Hillary’s doing as well as she is in WV (granted, there’s only 6% of the vote in). I thought this would be one of Bernie’s huge victories, like 65-35.
Bernie’s now up 6.6%
This is such a meaningless vote. Too few delegates up for grabs to make any difference. Bernie will think he’s leading Hillary and is a shoo-in for POTUS, and everyone will wonder how anyone this math challenged can possible deal with banks or Wall street executives.
Bernie wins another red state.
Bandwagon effect, aka party unity. Voters like to get on board with the winner.
It is, not that it matters.
Bernie had a great win, he might even close the delegate count on Hillary by one or two delegates. It looks like it’s going to take June 7th to bury the bern, and even then he won’t get it.
Why does everyone assume he doesn’t get it?
He’s not stupid. He is providing the media with the entertaining horse race it desires, keeping focus and interest on the Clinton campaign while giving some publicity to his pet issues. Think how much more coverage Clinton has had that she would have without him, especially in this crazy year.
The longer he stays in, the more invested people get in this race and its eventual winner, Hillary Clinton. And I say this as a Sanders supporter. He’s the perfect foil for the Clinton campaign: a worthy opponent who will be finally defeated only at the very last minute (or months ago, but that’s only for the math nerds. Boo, math nerds).
If you exclude the superdelegates - who can switch anyway - Sanders with 1430 delegates isn’t far behind Clinton with 1716.
The way the Democratic contests work, that’s actually very far behind, especially in mid-May when there are only a few states left.
I’m not entirely convinced that Bernie goes quietly into the night. If he gives a spirited fight and then concedes gracefully before the convention, then maybe you’re onto something. But if he takes the fight to the floor of the convention like he’s suggesting he might, he’s not helping progressives. He’s only helping the Trump campaign.
Yes, for some time now his campaign has been more about his own ego than about any higher principles, encouraged and enabled by the poutiness of his strongest supporters.
Why would you? They’re reality.
Oh yeah, how’s that effort going? Has Sanders convinced any to switch yet? Using what arguments?
Yes, that’s far behind. There are winners and losers in elections.
There’s no reason that super delegates should switch. Bernie wins flyover states that republicans would almost surely win anyway. Bernie wins states that republicans have controlled for decades. To his credit, Bernie won Michigan and Wisconsin, which were impressive victories. But Hillary consistently won states that were more populous, more diverse, and more pivotal in terms of the national election. If Bernie Sanders had been more competitive in NY, and if he had won outright in places like PA or OH, then you could make a case for the Bern. But to date, that hasn’t happened.
Maybe he somehow pulls off shockers in California and New Jersey?
He needs to win 98 percent - 98 percent - of the remaining delegates just to pull even. Where is this “it’s not over” shit coming from?
Hillary would have to announce that she’s a card carrying member of ISIS who worships Idi Amin for his brilliant civil rights record while advocating all male children under the age of 5 be executed for sport. See, there is a pathway to the top for the dreamer.
You never know.
amazing how WV, which voted Carter twice (Jimmy effin Carter even in 1980), voted Dukakis, and gave Bill Clinton double digits twice, and Gore lost by less than 7% even tho he spent almost no money there (at 267 EVs before faithless elector, any state would’ve elected him), potentially is now to the GOP what Vermont or Maine is to the Dems.
Consequence of how far to the left Dems have moved in part, tho yea, some of it probably is racial animosity to Obama (which Obama could’ve helped by being more balanced about race but maybe not that much)