Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had hoped his unexpected win in Michigan last week would propel him to victory throughout the industrial midwest. But the voters had a different idea.
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton defeated Sanders in at least four states Tuesday — Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio — with a fifth, Missouri, too close to call.
The number that really mattered, though, was 320: her lead among pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention. With 1,094 in the bag — not to mention 467 committed superdelegates — Clinton is well on her way to securing the 2,383 necessary to win her party’s presidential nomination.
Sanders’ chances of catching up, meanwhile, have become vanishingly slim.
As the results came rolling in, Sanders kept his eye on next week’s contests — in Arizona, Idaho and Utah. Speaking for more than an hour Tuesday night in Phoenix, he never once addressed the day’s elections.
Clinton, who held a victory party in West Palm Beach, Fla., told supporters she was “moving close to securing the Democratic Party nomination” and then turned her attention to the general election, in which she appeared more likely than not to face New York businessman Donald Trump.
His victory in Florida pushed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) out of the race Tuesday night. Trump also won in Illinois and North Carolina, but he fell to Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the latter’s home state. In Missouri, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was giving Trump a run for his money, but that race was too close to call.
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Old Yeller got positively SHELLACKED by Clinton across the country. Looks like his tactic of going negative on Clinton over free trade backfired badly. It’s time for him to concede that he can’t win the race, release his Superdelegates to Clinton and exit gracefully . . AS IF his HUGE ego could handle it . .
Stacy, while I appreciate the idea that he “went negative” by telling the truth about Hillary’s policy decisions, you have to be realistic yourself:
Hillary’s out of Southern states.
In the South, she wins by huge margins. Everywhere else, she either ties, wins by less than 2 points, or loses by 20 points to Bernie.
So unless she suddenly gets super popular out of the Deep South, it’s unlikely that she’s got this all wrapped up.
So Matt, Illinois and Ohio are southern states? She beat Sanders by 14 points in Ohio. She beat Sanders in Massachusetts, Iowa and Nevada – remind us: Are those states in the Deep South? Time to put down your Bern Kool-Aid and learn the new math. Old Yeller can stop howling at the moon, it’s over.
Bernie is going to need some serious help, something like an indictment, to be the nominee but I have no problem with him continuing his campaign. Also, if you think Hillary’s ego isn’t larger than Bernie’s then there isn’t really any help for you.
Isn’t it great to hear people crow? “Stacy” is doing the job here. “Old Yeller” was cute too. If we’re going to call people names, I could call you some too, but I believe it’s silly to do that. The fact is that nothing we say will persuade you to think twice, and you’ll probably leave a nasty retort to whatever I write. I’ll just say what Yogi Berra said: “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
The 30% of the black vote Bernie got last week in Michigan was a great improvement compared to the 10% or so of the black vote he got in southern states. The improvement explained his narrow victory in Michigan.
But Bernie did not further improve this week: he got just 28% of the black vote in Ohio, 29% in Missouri and Illinois, and 20% in Florida.
The title of the article today in the Washington Post that lays out these numbers says it all: “Bernie Sanders is doing better with black voters — but it’s still not good enough.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fi…
Ideas to end impunity for killer cops and actually keep the promise of equal justice under law might be useful: “Black Lives Matter: How Bernie Can Win Way More Black Voters” http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/15/bla…
Responding on two comments here: “She beat Sanders in Massachusetts, Iowa and Nevada” and “he got just 28% of the black vote in Ohio, 29% in Missouri and Illinois, and 20% in Florida”– There is more information that is being documented but not reported having to do with electoral fraud–that is, in the first three states I cite here–MA, IA, & NV. In caucus states like IA & NV (and in the city of Denver, CO) it is more difficult to show the numbers, because of the caucus process; however videos show Clintonnites’ improprieties that would have shifted results. In MA, early NYTimes tallies by precinct and exit polls document Sanders’ counts ahead of Clinton. MA is one of many states that uses electronic machines well documented to flip the votes with undetectable and proprietary software (as do Ohio, MO, and Florida). For any election using these machines (owned by GOP companies), the only way to know the accurate tally is to count paper ballots. The clues come from preserving the data as it comes in, and comparing against exit polls and final results. Those with mathematical skills and tenacity to accomplish these tasks indicate fraudulent end results. This first became publicly available information to many of us in the selection of Bush in 2000 when Gore actually won the popular vote in FL and the Supreme Court refused a full recount necessary to document it. Are we really a democracy if this is what takes place ? (Whether we “believe it” or not is almost irrelevant to that answer)
My first comment does not address many other issues about how we understand and calculate fair elections: tens of thousands of ex-felons in Florida (as one example) who have their vote unconstitutionally withheld; restrictive voter ID laws (promoted in state legislatures by ALEC and other corporate-funded right-wing groups) and other mechanisms that prevent certain sectors of the population (students, seniors, people of color, low income, etc.–generally a more “liberal” populace) from voting; and outright ballot-stuffing fraud, as when provisional and absentee ballots either disappear or are somehow miscounted or over-generated by one “campaign.” With the consolidation of media into the military-industrial-medical-pharmaceutical-banking-insurance-and-Big-Oil-energy Corporate complex controlled by the .01 percent, anything that echoes that which is generated by corporate media is likely to misinform. If only by understanding the science behind public relations and news (same psychology regarding how we understand and think about what we read/ hear) and the how the billion dollar PR machine generates much of our information, you may gain some critical thinking skills that can help you to understand what I am trying to write (in 300 words or less) Thanks for the forum. Let’s think. PS- has the tree fallen in the forest if no one is there to observe it?)
Tinfoil hat alert: Bernie actually won in the states he lost, but vague electoral fraud by unknown right wing GOP-aligned forces changed the result to a win for Hillary.
Oh, for god’s sake.
I got 4 dislikes for saying “it ain’t over till it’s over”? Fooey on those four souls. Renee’s a little…long winded, and the “tinfoil hat” comment is funny, but folks, emotions may run high this year – but it still ain’t over. You can dislike that, or kick someone, but this election is still up in the air.
Shall we deny a primary vote to more than half the country? I don’t understand why so many people are pushing to shut down the primary process.
At this point, 55% of people don’t think Hillary is favorable. Let the process play out.
Don’t worry, all the Bernie supporters will fall in line and vote Hillary like good little Democrats when she inevitably wins the nomination. They will support the exact cronyism and corruption they claim to be against. After all she does have that D next to her name.