The Bernie for President train is still picking up speed. People are still flocking to his rallies: 10,000 in San Diego on Tuesday. His vote is growing despite pundits saying he has no chance. His stunning wins over Hillary Clinton in Utah (79% to 20%) and Idaho (78% to 21%) meant that even with a loss in Arizona he came out of Tuesday with a net gain of 22 delegates.
Sanders may win big in the next five primaries (Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming) which should set him up for April 19 in New York.
Of course, with the Democrat and media establishment lined up against him, it is still going to be hard for Sanders to win the nomination.
The Democratic Party grandees are banking on Sanders losing the race and his supporters falling in behind Hillary – if the only alternative is Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. But it won’t be easy to convince the young “Bernie or Bust” radicals to put a tick beside Hillary’s name. She is a quintessential establishment figure, trusted by corporate American and hawkish in her foreign policy.
Clinton’s speech last Monday
to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was a shocker. She wanted the US to provide more sophisticated missiles to Israel; she smeared the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as anti-Semitic; and then said “one of the first things I’ll do in office is invite Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] t visit the White House.”
Bernie Sanders’ speech in Salt Lake City
the same day was a good counterpoint. He criticised Israeli settlements on the West Bank and condemned “[Israel’s] bombing of hospitals, schools and refugee camps”. “Peace will also mean ending the economic blockade of Gaza,” Sanders said.
Any Democrat who is truly worried about Trump becoming President should be backing Sanders.
The last five national polls
put Sanders beating Trump by a big margin, averaging 16%. Clinton also beats Trump, but by five points less, at 11%. An establishment-supported figure like Hillary Clinton is not the best person to beat Donald Trump, as some of Trump’s Republican challengers have already discovered. Sanders also has an 8% margin over Ted Cruz, whereas Clinton has only a 2% margin.