Many of the Vermont senator’s aides and allies expect him to press onward — regardless of Tuesday’s election results.
Bernie Sanders’ path to the Democratic nomination is closing, but a quick exit is far from guaranteed — even if he gets wiped out Tuesday.
From his debate posture to staffing moves to the “virtual rally” he convened Monday evening, the Vermont senator is signaling that he may not be ready to concede.
If Sanders remains in the race, it will be in part to keep his “political revolution” alive. According to people familiar with his thinking, Sanders will not only consider what’s best for his campaign, but also the progressive movement.
Many of Sanders’ aides and allies also expect him to press onward after Tuesday. They see a benefit in amassing as many delegates as possible in order to influence the party platform at the Democratic National Convention this summer — even if Sanders himself can’t win the nomination.
“I think there’s a very good chance that he will stay in,” said Larry Cohen, chair of Our Revolution, a group founded by Sanders in 2016. “The number of delegates you have, the number of people on the platform committee is absolutely critical.”
Notably, Sanders has staff in place for states that vote as late as April 28, according to a campaign adviser, including New York. Sanders’ aides have long thought that he would have a good shot in the Empire State, which is rich in delegates. Earlier this month, Sanders’ team announced it was opening five offices in Pennsylvania, a state seen by many local and state officials as Joe Biden’s second home.
A former aide close to the Sanders campaign said that a senior staffer argued as recently as last week that there is still a path to victory even if Sanders suffers major losses Tuesday.
“I think he’s in. Who is going to advise him to drop out?” the person said, adding that current aides can “work for whatever group Bernie starts next.”
At Sunday’s debate, Sanders not only tried to push Biden’s agenda to the left, but also litigated his past votes extensively. When the former vice president offered him an olive branch by adopting a plan to make college free for families earning less than $125,000 annually, Sanders said it didn’t go far enough.
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https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/17/bernie-sanders-not-going-quietly-132641
