Tipsheet

These Numbers Show Why Bernie Dominated Nevada...And Why a 'Stop Sanders' Movement Isn't Going to Happen

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  February 23, 2020 6:00 AM

Sen. Bernie Sanders has the momentum and there really isn’t much standing in his way after his resounding Nevada win last night. It was no contest. Sanders handily won the caucuses, despite the state Democratic Party dealing with some similar issues concerning vote tabulations. Phone lines were jammed. It was slow, but the race was called by some of the major news organizations before 6 P.M. Many more called it for Sanders as it approached 8 in the evening. 

Based on the initial exits, it’s no wonder why Sanders won this contest. For starters, one huge number was revealed prior to caucus-goers heading to their respective locations: Bernie had a lock on Hispanic voters.

And that advantage, along with him dominating the 45 and younger vote and those described as “very liberal” gave him an edge that was just insurmountable for his competition:

As the second round of voting began, Bernie only got stronger. Yes, it was a Sanders smash. 

One interesting tidbit from this contest was Sanders’ union support. His campaign and the key Culinary Workers Union have been in a nasty fight in the days leading up to this caucus. The union refused to endorse anyone. They thought Joe Biden was way past his prime—they’re not wrong—and Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All proposals was just a bridge too far. The plan, which is also ruinously expensive, strips health care for 150+ million Americans. All private plans are gutted for a government one. Democrats are running on taking away people’s health care—and union workers in Nevada supported it last night. It’s scary. Will natural gas workers in the Rust Belt feel the same way?

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Former Vice President Joe Biden thinks he can mount a campaign restart in South Carolina, but even if he wins, his margins will be too small. He needs a huge win, akin to Sanders in Nevada, and he won’t get it. I’ll bet money, as other reporters and commentators have, that Sanders chips into Biden’s black voter support. Either way, if Biden can’t show he can’t break away from Sanders and the rest of the 2020 Democratic field in a decisive way in South Carolina, then he should probably go. As for Sanders, well, he looks bound to clean up this nomination fight. Can this train be stopped? For those Democrats who hope that an anti-Sanders movement can arise, the wet towel here is that the numbers just don’t pan out. Too many Democrats like Bernie. And while it's way too early to start fretting, Bernie just ran the table with union workers, young people, and Latinos. That's the Obama coalition.