Sanders scores decisive win in Nevada, Biden heading to second place

By Tim Reid and Simon Lewis

 

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders takes the stage with U.S. Representative Jesus Garcia (D-IL) at a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., February 21, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

 

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Bernie Sanders scored a decisive victory in the Democratic presidential caucuses in Nevada on Saturday and gained a fresh burst of momentum, while Joe Biden appeared headed to a second-place finish that will give his struggling campaign new hope.

 

Sanders, a senator from Vermont, had 45% of the county convention delegates in Nevada with about 4% of the precincts reported, and television networks predicted he would cruise to an easy win.

 

But there were long delays getting more results reported, more than five hours after the caucuses started.

 

Biden, the former vice president, appeared headed to a badly needed strong showing after poor finishes in the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire for the party's nomination to face Republican President Donald Trump in the November election.

 

He was a distant second to Sanders with 19% of the vote, but ahead of former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, in third with 16%.

 

"The press is ready to declare people dead quickly, but we’re alive and we’re coming back and we’re gonna win," Biden told supporters in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

 

Senator Elizabeth Warren was trailing in a disappointing fourth with 11% in Nevada, where voters poured into more than 250 sites around the state.

 

Sanders showed signs of expanding his support beyond his core supporters, riding a wave of backing from most age groups, Latinos and union members to victory in Nevada. Entrance polls also showed heavy backing for his government-run Medicare for All healthcare plan.

 

"We have put together a multi-generational, multiracial coalition that is going to not only win in Nevada, it's going to sweep the country," Sanders told cheering supporters in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Buttigieg, however, told his supporters in Las Vegas that Democrats should stop and reconsider nominating Sanders, a self-identified democratic socialist that he portrayed as an ideologue.

 

"We can prioritise either ideological purity or inclusive victory. We can either call people names online or we can call them into our movement. We can either tighten a narrow and hardcore base or open the tent to a new, broad, big-hearted American coalition," Buttigieg said.

 

After a technical meltdown delayed results during the Iowa caucuses, Nevada Democratic Party officials promised that a revised reporting system using a telephone hotline and photos of caucus reporting sheets would ensure a smoother process.

 

But precinct chairs at some caucuses reported long waits on the phone lines. Larry Van, a retired pharmacist who was the volunteer secretary at a precinct that went to Biden, said he called the phone number to report results eight times before he eventually got through.

 

In the final result of a caucus at the famed Bellagio hotel on the Las Vegas strip, Sanders finished with 76 votes, Biden had 45 and no other candidate ended with a vote.

 

Workers at the hotel, who are members of the Culinary Workers Union, streamed out of the caucus after backing Sanders despite their leadership expressing reservations about his healthcare plan.

 

"I went for Bernie. I'm not big into politics, but I like the things he's going for: student loan debt, schools, free healthcare," said Aleiza Smith, 22, a housekeeper at the Bellagio.

 

Four days of early voting in Nevada this week drew more than 75,000 Democrats, more than half first-time voters, putting the party in position to surpass the turnout record of 118,000 in 2008, when Barack Obama's candidacy electrified the party.

 

But those early votes had to be counted along with those cast on Saturday, complicating the process.

 

An entrance poll by the Edison Research agency showed six in 10 Nevada voters at the caucuses backed the Medicare for All proposal, a version of which is also supported by Warren.

 

Six out of 10 caucus-goers wanted someone who can beat Trump more than someone who agrees with them on major issues, according to the poll.

 

SURGING SANDERS

 

The entrance poll showed that Sanders led in Nevada across all age groups except for those older than 65. Around 54% of Latino voters said they backed him, while 24% of college-educated white women and 34% of those who have a union member in their families supported him.

 

The Nevada caucuses came a day after news broke that Sanders had been briefed by U.S. officials that Russia was trying to help his campaign as part of an effort to interfere with the 2020 presidential election.

 

While Sanders' rivals tried to blunt his momentum in the caucuses, they each faced significant challenges of their own.

 

Biden and Warren were looking to jump-start struggling campaigns after poor finishes in the first two states, while Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar are hoping to prove they can appeal to Nevada's more diverse electorate.

 

Trump, who lost Nevada to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, tweeted on Saturday that he expected to win in Nevada in the general election in November and alluded to the reports that a Russian disinformation effort was supporting Sanders.

 

At a Democratic debate in Nevada on Wednesday, candidates launched scathing attacks on Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, who has been rising in the polls on the back of a self-funded advertising blitz but is not competing in Nevada.

 

The next primary will be on Feb. 29 in South Carolina, followed by the Super Tuesday contests in 14 states on March 3 that pick more than one-third of the pledged delegates who will help select a Democratic nominee.

 

Nevada is the first nominating state with a diverse population after contests in predominantly white Iowa and New Hampshire.

 

(Writing by John Whitesides and Michael Martina; Additional reporting by Sharon Bernstein, Jane Ross and Elizabeth Culliford; Editing by Soyoung Kim, Cynthia Osterman and Howard Goller)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-23

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The Russians are pushing Sanders to run against Trump because they don't believe he can win and become the new Democratic President and IMO they're right .

17 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

But there were long delays getting more results reported, more than five hours after the caucuses started.

Once is unlucky. Twice is sheer incompetence. If anybody had any doubt whether the democrats are fit to run the greatest country on earth....

Looks like the DNC can't stop Bernie.  Maybe they can buy him off, perhaps with another cottage on the lake.

Are people really too stupid to see that Sanders is just one step away from being a full fledged Communist? 

 

Maybe that is a rhetorical question. 

47 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

Are people really too stupid to see that Sanders is just one step away from being a full fledged Communist? 

 

Maybe that is a rhetorical question. 

Uh, no, he's not.

2 hours ago, keith101 said:

The Russians are pushing Sanders to run against Trump because they don't believe he can win and become the new Democratic President and IMO they're right .

Trump is so repugnant to a lot of people and if he does win against Sanders this will show how repugnant the majority of Americans are.

2 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Looks like the DNC can't stop Bernie.  Maybe they can buy him off, perhaps with another cottage on the lake.

or he could have an "accident"  not out of the question

2 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Once is unlucky. Twice is sheer incompetence. If anybody had any doubt whether the democrats are fit to run the greatest country on earth....

what country are you referring to?  surely not America.  not on this planet.  and are you in Thailand?  why pray tell?

Edited February 23, 20206 yr by malibukid

1 hour ago, Cory1848 said:

Uh, no, he's not.

If that is what you think, then you know absolutely ZERO about him. 

1 hour ago, Cory1848 said:

Uh, no, he's not.

Agreed he is not. 

But unfortunately it will be super easy for the 45 forces to paint Bernie and the entire Democratic party down ticket as evil commies if he's nominated. 

 

He must be stopped. Bloomberg might be the only person that can prevent a 45 second term. 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

If that is what you think, then you know absolutely ZERO about him. 

Or you know ZERO about communism. 

Imagine people vote for Sanders and imagine Trump and his supporters don't accept that result...

22 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

If that is what you think, then you know absolutely ZERO about him. 

Were you born in communist country? Lived in one for a significant period of time? If not, what makes you think you know anything about communism?

7 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Imagine people vote for Sanders and imagine Trump and his supporters don't accept that result...

I hope you are being ironic. There is only one side that stopped accepting democratic principles, and it's not Trump or his supporters.

OK.

So if Bernie gets to the magic number of delegates, he's the nominee.

If he's under on the first ballot but way ahead of the 2nd place candidate (which could easily happen if most of the other democrats don't quit very soon) then it would be politically impossible to deny him the nomination.

 

So even though it's too early to know for sure, assuming Bernie is the nominee, who should he pick as VP?

 

Man or woman?

White or minority?

Ideologically close or the same or less leftist to balance the ticket?

 

As so many people will be buying into the "he's a commie" BS from the 45 side, I think the VP choice might be more decisive than normally. 

 

Another thing to keep in mind, Sanders based on his age and what we know of his health history has an expected life expectancy of FIVE years.

 

Another reason, why the VP pick could be more important for him.

 

Of course Bernie loyalists will want a VP as leftist as he is. But that would be less likely to be a winning ticket. Would Bernie people be less likely to go for him if he moderated a little bit for VP? I don't think so.

 

If it's Bernie you can forget about any purplish states in the south except for Virginia and as a long shot North Carolina. But not freaking out the national suburban white women voters might give him a chance. 

Edited February 23, 20206 yr by Jingthing

4 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Are people really too stupid to see that Sanders is just one step away from being a full fledged Communist? 

 

Maybe that is a rhetorical question. 

There are too many words in your post that you need to brush up on

Edited February 23, 20206 yr by gamb00ler

34 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So even though it's too early to know for sure, assuming Bernie is the nominee, who should he pick as VP?

 

Bernie will need a more moderate/centrist VP to pull in those worried about a self proclaimed Socialist on the ticket. It would also be good to get a VP that is from one of the mid-west states preferably one of the swing states. And of course to show that he is "woke", he will need a minority VP either female or someone of non-white heritage (best if it is both).

 

There doesn't seem to be anyone of major name recognition that can check all the right boxes. My guess it will be either Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams. Personally, I would have him choose Stacey Abrams as it just might pull in the southern vote. 

 

A centrist/moderate VP can also help try to pull in the House and Senate votes, especially those congressional seats sitting in more purple areas where a socialist label will hurt them.

Edited February 23, 20206 yr by Silurian

4 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Are people really too stupid to see that Sanders is just one step away from being a full fledged Communist? 

 

Maybe that is a rhetorical question. 

If you knew the difference in between Sanders positions and communism, you would not have asked this question. A little reading could help.

4 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Are people really too stupid to see that Sanders is just one step away from being a full fledged Communist? 

 

Maybe that is a rhetorical question. 

He is a communist! He took that step decades ago.

1 minute ago, WalkingOrders said:

He is a communist! He took that step decades ago.

 was he of the age, to avoid the Vietnam Draft?

7 minutes ago, fxe1200 said:

If you knew the difference in between Sanders positions and communism, you would not have asked this question. A little reading could help.

Do you also call yourself comrade?

 

Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the communist party?

5 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Are people really too stupid to see that Sanders is just one step away from being a full fledged Communist? 

 

Maybe that is a rhetorical question. 

 

A very wealthy communist. Probably akin to the pigs in animal farm.

25 minutes ago, Silurian said:

 

Bernie will need a more moderate/centrist VP to pull in those worried about a self proclaimed Socialist on the ticket. It would also be good to get a VP that is from one of the mid-west states preferably one of the swing states. And of course to show that he is "woke", he will need a minority VP either female or someone of non-white heritage (best if it is both).

 

There doesn't seem to be anyone of major name recognition that can check all the right boxes. My guess it will be either Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams. Personally, I would have him choose Stacey Abrams as it just might pull in the southern vote. 

 

A centrist/moderate VP can also help try to pull in the House and Senate votes, especially those congressional seats sitting in more purple areas where a socialist label will hurt them.

No one would believe anyone is going go moderate Bernie Sanders, that trick won't work in this case. He could have Donald Trump Jr as a running mate and everyone still would know they are voting for a communist for President.

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

OK.

So if Bernie gets to the magic number of delegates, he's the nominee.

If he's under on the first ballot but way ahead of the 2nd place candidate (which could easily happen if most of the other democrats don't quit very soon) then it would be politically impossible to deny him the nomination.

 

So even though it's too early to know for sure, assuming Bernie is the nominee, who should he pick as VP?

 

Man or woman?

White or minority?

Ideologically close or the same or less leftist to balance the ticket?

 

As so many people will be buying into the "he's a commie" BS from the 45 side, I think the VP choice might be more decisive than normally. 

 

Another thing to keep in mind, Sanders based on his age and what we know of his health history has an expected life expectancy of FIVE years.

 

Another reason, why the VP pick could be more important for him.

 

Of course Bernie loyalists will want a VP as leftist as he is. But that would be less likely to be a winning ticket. Would Bernie people be less likely to go for him if he moderated a little bit for VP? I don't think so.

 

If it's Bernie you can forget about any purplish states in the south except for Virginia and as a long shot North Carolina. But not freaking out the national suburban white women voters might give him a chance. 

If I were Bernie, someone popular, and ideologically close. I would choose a leftist Latino, man or woman. Not too young. A very happy upbeat person, not inclined to foot in mouth disease, who speaks fluent Spanish. Not someone currently running.

5 hours ago, keith101 said:

The Russians are pushing Sanders to run against Trump because they don't believe he can win and become the new Democratic President and IMO they're right .

I think its all spin.

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

OK.

So if Bernie gets to the magic number of delegates, he's the nominee.

If he's under on the first ballot but way ahead of the 2nd place candidate (which could easily happen if most of the other democrats don't quit very soon) then it would be politically impossible to deny him the nomination.

 

So even though it's too early to know for sure, assuming Bernie is the nominee, who should he pick as VP?

 

Man or woman?

White or minority?

Ideologically close or the same or less leftist to balance the ticket?

 

As so many people will be buying into the "he's a commie" BS from the 45 side, I think the VP choice might be more decisive than normally. 

 

Another thing to keep in mind, Sanders based on his age and what we know of his health history has an expected life expectancy of FIVE years.

 

Another reason, why the VP pick could be more important for him.

 

Of course Bernie loyalists will want a VP as leftist as he is. But that would be less likely to be a winning ticket. Would Bernie people be less likely to go for him if he moderated a little bit for VP? I don't think so.

 

If it's Bernie you can forget about any purplish states in the south except for Virginia and as a long shot North Carolina. But not freaking out the national suburban white women voters might give him a chance. 

Americans in vast majority FEAR the word Socialism, especially in terms of what it means in terms of feeding their families.

5 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Are people really too stupid to see that Sanders is just one step away from being a full fledged Communist? 

 

Maybe that is a rhetorical question. 

Try learning what Communism is. He's not even close....not even a Socialist.

1 hour ago, edwinchester said:

Try learning what Communism is. He's not even close....not even a Socialist.

Yeah, I know, as Communists always tell me, they only exist theoretically.

1 hour ago, edwinchester said:

Try learning what Communism is. He's not even close....not even a Socialist.

You're talking logic. Do you think the 45 campaign is going to be run based on logic? Voters mostly vote feelings and a strong feeling for many people is FEAR.