Sanders was
projected the winner in the Wisconsin’s Democratic presidential primary on
Tuesday night. It was his sixth victory in the last seven states. However, he
still faces an uphill battle against his rival, Hillary Clinton.
While Sanders
has performed well in the Midwest and Western states, Clinton’s earlier
dominance, particularly in the South has given her a delegate lead that her
campaign has dubbed “nearly insurmountable.”
In spite of
the long odds, Sanders and his campaign believe his current momentum can propel
him across the finish line. In a fundraising email to supporters shortly after
media outlets first projected his victory, Sanders noted the pessimistic
forecasts many political observers have made for his campaign.
“The corporate
media and political establishment keep counting us out, but we keep winning
states and doing so by large margins. If we can keep this up, we’re going to
shock them all and win this nomination,” Sanders said.
Wisconsin,
with its large college population and tradition of progressive politics, has long been seen as fertile ground for Sanders.
Most polls in the state showed him with a single digit lead over Clinton heading
into Tuesday’s election. However, Clinton’s existing lead and the fact the
state awards delegates by congressional district means Sanders will have to win by a much larger margin to make much of a dent Clinton’s
pledged delegate lead.
Whatever his
margin of victory, his recent streak culminating with the win in Wisconsin
certainly gives Sanders strong momentum heading into Wyoming’s caucus on Saturday
and the delegate-rich primary in New York on April 19. But the battle for the
Democratic nomination won’t just be about the voters and the pledged delegates
who are awarded based on ballots cast.
Indeed,
momentum was the main theme of the victory speech Sanders delivered from an
event in Laramie, Wyoming on Tuesday night. Sanders said the fact he had
emerged as a serious challenger to Clinton after being behind in the polls and
dismissed by many pundits shows the inertia behind his campaign. He also pointed
to the fact he has managed to build a substantial war chest without the help of
super PACs that allow wealthy megadonors to back campaigns.
“What momentum
is about is my belief that if we wake up the American people, that if working
people, and middle class people, and senior citizens, and young people begin to
stand up, fight back, and come out and vote in large numbers, there is nothing
that we cannot accomplish,” Sanders said.
Clinton
attended a private fundraiser in New York City on Tuesday night and is not
likely to make a public address.
Clinton has amassed a massive lead among Democratic super
delegates, who are not bound to vote at the party’s convention based on the
results of their states’ primaries. Sanders and his campaign are hoping his
recent wins can help convince some of these super delegates to change sides.
His team and supporters are lobbying super delegates, particularly in
states where he won decisive victories over Clinton, and arguing it would be
undemocratic for them to go against the will of the electorate.
Clinton’s husband, President Bill Clinton, is a super
delegate in New York. President Clinton has been hitting the campaign trail in
support of his wife and at an event in Elmont, New York on Tuesday morning,
Yahoo News asked him about the super delegate system. Though he answered questions from reporters after a similar
event in New York City
last Thursday, Clinton was somewhat less forthcoming when Yahoo News about his
role as a super delegate.
“I don’t
answer questions on a rope line, but I got a good answer for you,” President
Clinton said. And then moved on.
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