Sanders predicts Democratic convention will be contested

[rooster59]

Sanders predicts Democratic convention will be contested

KEN THOMAS, Associated Press


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nearing the end of the primary season, a defiant Bernie Sanders predicted Saturday that the Democratic presidential process would lead to a contested summer convention against Hillary Clinton, pushing back against the likelihood that the former secretary of state will soon declare victory.

Speaking to reporters three days before the California primary, Sanders showed few signs of surrender, vowing to take his bid to the Philadelphia convention in July. He urged news organizations not to anoint Clinton as the presumptive nominee through a combination of pledged delegates and superdelegates.

"It is extremely unlikely that Secretary Clinton will have the requisite number of pledged delegates to claim victory on Tuesday night," Sanders said. "Now I have heard reports that Secretary Clinton has said it's all going to be over on Tuesday night. I have reports that the media, after the New Jersey results come in, are going to declare that it is all over. That simply is not accurate."

By nightfall, Sanders was rallying supporters outside the entrance of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where he pointed to his differences with Clinton on super PACs, the federal minimum wage and the Iraq War.

"Hillary Clinton wants small, incremental changes. We want to transform this nation," Sanders said as the Coliseum's flaming cauldron torch lit up the sky.

Sanders told reporters by the end of the primaries on June 14 neither candidate would have enough pledged delegates to declare victory and would be dependent upon superdelegates to reach the magic number. "In other words, the Democratic National Convention will be a contested convention," he said.

Clinton currently leads Sanders among pledged delegates by a count of 1,769 to 1,501, an edge of 268 pledged delegates. An Associated Press count of superdelegates shows Clinton leading 547 to 46. Clinton is currently 67 delegates short of clinching the nomination through the combination of the two and is poised to cross that threshold in the coming days.

Sanders wants Democrats to break with tradition. In 2008, then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama clinched the nomination against Clinton through a mix of both types of delegates. And superdelegates have historically backed the candidate who wins the most delegates from primaries and caucuses, a threshold Clinton is likely to cross this week.

The Vermont senator is seeking a victory in California, New Jersey and four other contests on Tuesday. A win in the Golden State, where polls show a tight contest, would be an embarrassment for Clinton and embolden Sanders to aggressively lobby superdelegates to switch their support to him, arguing he's the best candidate to take on presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Clinton has begun forcefully attacking Trump on national security and his overall temperament for the White House and has largely looked past Sanders, hitting hard at the GOP real estate mogul. She told supporters Friday that "if all goes well, I will have the great honor as of Tuesday to be the Democratic nominee for president."

Sanders is expected to return to his Vermont home on Wednesday and advisers say he intends to ramp up his courtship of the party's superdelegates, a process that is already underway, pointing to polls showing him faring better than Clinton in head-to-head matchups with Trump.

He will compete in the District of Columbia primary on June 14, the final contest. Beyond that, Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver said they are considering whether Sanders might appear at more rallies around the country after the primaries and speak in Chicago at a gathering of Sanders' activists on June 17-19.

But a loss in California, the nation's most populous state, would undercut his case against Clinton.

"Once the numbers come in, I think we can begin a serious discussion among ourselves about what the right path for us is," said Tad Devine, Sanders' senior adviser. He added: "If he wins California and a lot of states, he'll want to make a closing argument to the superdelegates."

Sanders is pushing for his policy views to be included in the party's platform and wants the party to become more inclusive of independent and working-class voters.

Recalling her own campaign against Obama in 2008, Clinton's team has avoided urging Sanders to leave the race. But if Sanders loses California, he's likely to face pressure to drop out.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this week that "sometimes you just have to give up," a sign of what could come next.

Sanders has said he will work "day and night" to defeat Trump, whom he repeatedly assails as a divisive figure. Yet few expect Sanders to quickly follow the example set by Clinton, who campaigned extensively for Obama after suspending the roll call vote at the 2008 convention and later, became his secretary of state.

Said Weaver: "Given what he has said, I suspect there will certainly be a roll call vote at the convention."

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-05

[Boon Mee]

Clinton is outpacing Sanders among pledged delegates — 1,769 to 1,501 —and superdelegates, 547 to 46.

He has that proverbial snowball's chance in hell...

[geriatrickid]

Let the poor old fart dream on. He is an old man and his days on earth are few. let him have his time in the spotlight. He'll be dead and buried in a few years. RIP.

[ttthailand]

Bernie is now ahead in some California polls and a 60 to 40 win, which is possible, he will gain over 220 delegates ahead of Hillary in just that state. I think he is going to be ahead of Hillary by time voting is over on the 7th. Then it is off to the convention in 6 weeks to see how the super delegates will vote. Lots can happen between now and July 25th.

Go Bernie !

[Usernames]

And old Bernie just keeps twisting the knife deeper into Hillary.

[Steely Dan]

Contested convention. Does this mean their respective factions will scrap it out with chains and knuckle dusters?

Edited June 5, 2016 by Steely Dan

[Usernames]

Contested convention. Does this mean their respective factions will scrap it out with chains and knuckle dusters?

I think it means that Bernie's millennial Red Guards will mix it up with Hillary's La Raza Brown Berets. The BLM crowd will then beat the tar out of whoever is left over.

[Ulic]

Bernie railed against super delegates and now needs them to switch sides in order for him

to win. Bernie has totally lost the plot. If you want the super delegates not to count then

the number to clinch the Democratic nomination also drops. After Tuesday Clinton will have

reached the 50% +1 figure if you subtract super delegates. Give it up Bernie. The contest

is now between Trump and HRC.

[Jingthing]

Bernie is now ahead in some California polls and a 60 to 40 win, which is possible, he will gain over 220 delegates ahead of Hillary in just that state. I think he is going to be ahead of Hillary by time voting is over on the 7th. Then it is off to the convention in 6 weeks to see how the super delegates will vote. Lots can happen between now and July 25th.

Go Bernie !

Did you just invent that poll?

Why didn't you include a link?

Sounds FISHY.

Anyway, Hillary is going to beat Bernie in California and also of course win the nomination.

Her recent speech has fired up Clinton supporters ... frankly there was some concern that she didn't have the fire in her belly to take on the vile monster, but now it's clear she does.

Hillary Clinton is the better candidate to take on Trump

It’s true that Republicans often rebuffed Obama’s offers of cooperation, but it’s hard to imagine a President Sanders engaging any more successfully with them. Clinton, who as a senator and secretary of State was able to work cooperatively with Republicans, strikes us as being better equipped to reach across the partisan divide, something that will be necessary even if the Democrats regain control of Congress. A Clinton presidency would be more prosaic than a Sanders administration, but it also is likely to be more effective.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-hillary-california-20160603-snap-story.html

Edited June 5, 2016 by Jingthing

[chuckd]

Contested convention. Does this mean their respective factions will scrap it out with chains and knuckle dusters?

I think it means that Bernie's millennial Red Guards will mix it up with Hillary's La Raza Brown Berets. The BLM crowd will then beat the tar out of whoever is left over.

My nomination for post of the year.

[connda]

Although I'd like to see it, best of luck on that Bernie.

[wabothai]

It is all so funny and disgraceful.

[Thaidream]

I still have some hope Bernie can pull it off but he is up against the Clinton machine-which is wealthy and formidable. Hillary should pick him for VP if she has the guts. His presence would ensure Trump would never enter the White House.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Thaidream

[retarius]

If it's Clinton then it will be a disaster for the world. Look forward to 4 years of warmongering and bank frauds.

[Jingthing]

I still have some hope Bernie can pull it off but he is up against the Clinton machine-which is wealthy and formidable. Hillary should pick him for VP if she has the guts. His presence would ensure Trump would never enter the White House.

Hillary would never pick him as VP and that's not what he would want anyway.

Possibly Elizabeth Warren who frankly is a better general election candidate than Bernie.

[Boon Mee]

I still have some hope Bernie can pull it off but he is up against the Clinton machine-which is wealthy and formidable. Hillary should pick him for VP if she has the guts. His presence would ensure Trump would never enter the White House.

Hillary would never pick him as VP and that's not what he would want anyway.

Possibly Elizabeth Warren who frankly is a better general election candidate than Bernie.

The fake Indian?

[mopar71]

From left-wing Salon.com...

Zombie time at campaign Hillary: Camille Paglia on Trump’s real strength and Clinton’s fatal sleepwalking

"...floating of the idea of a Joe Biden-Elizabeth Warren substitute ticket (which I’ve been privately predicting to friends all year) is so evenly and magisterially phrased that I wondered if the text had been vetted by an approving White House. So this may be why Bernie Sanders (my candidate) has gone into overdrive—not to damage Hillary, as her acolytes spitefully claim, but to fight off the tactical insertion of Biden at the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia. Sanders could rightly claim, on the basis of his long and strenuous primary campaign, that if anyone deserves the nomination vacated by a tarnished Hillary, it is he. "

http://www.salon.com/2016/06/02/zombie_time_at_campaign_hillary_camille_paglia_on_trumps_real_strength_and_clintons_fatal_sleepwalking/

[Boon Mee]

^

Heh...and good luck with that!

[up2u2]

Bernie has to win in California. Hillary's Foreign Policy speech doesn't help. Knocked Trump for a six and hurt Bernie too.

[Boon Mee]

Heh...wake up and smell the coffee - America will never elecct a Socialist...

[NovaBlue05]

I still have some hope Bernie can pull it off but he is up against the Clinton machine-which is wealthy and formidable. Hillary should pick him for VP if she has the guts. His presence would ensure Trump would never enter the White House.

I would be disappointed in Bernie if he allowed himself to become nothing more than Hillary's pet squirrel

[NovaBlue05]

Bernie has to win in California. Hillary's Foreign Policy speech doesn't help. Knocked Trump for a six and hurt Bernie too.

Hillary's "foreign policy speech" consisted of a robotic reading of scripted, teleprompter fed "bash Trump" one liners.

You would expect a former SoS, especially one able to start so many new fires abroad, would be more focused on that topic

[Thaidream]

America would elect a socialist as long as he/she could produce relief for the horrid state of American affairs. Sanders would go well with Hillary as long as she ceded certain things to him. Elizabeth Warren is a good choice also. I don't care if she is Indian, African or Thai. We need change in America and Trump will not bring change -only division.

[ttthailand]

Bernie is now ahead in some California polls and a 60 to 40 win, which is possible, he will gain over 220 delegates ahead of Hillary in just that state. I think he is going to be ahead of Hillary by time voting is over on the 7th. Then it is off to the convention in 6 weeks to see how the super delegates will vote. Lots can happen between now and July 25th.

Go Bernie !

Did you just invent that poll?

Why didn't you include a link?

Sounds FISHY.

Anyway, Hillary is going to beat Bernie in California and also of course win the nomination.

Her recent speech has fired up Clinton supporters ... frankly there was some concern that she didn't have the fire in her belly to take on the vile monster, but now it's clear she does.

Hillary Clinton is the better candidate to take on Trump

It’s true that Republicans often rebuffed Obama’s offers of cooperation, but it’s hard to imagine a President Sanders engaging any more successfully with them. Clinton, who as a senator and secretary of State was able to work cooperatively with Republicans, strikes us as being better equipped to reach across the partisan divide, something that will be necessary even if the Democrats regain control of Congress. A Clinton presidency would be more prosaic than a Sanders administration, but it also is likely to be more effective.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-hillary-california-20160603-snap-story.html

Just look on line and you can see the results on many real news channels. If you are a ABC or CNBC or Fox follower then I understand your limited knowledge but check out other news sources. Hillary' s days are numbered .....

Edited June 5, 2016 by ttthailand

[ttthailand]

Heh...wake up and smell the coffee - America will never elecct a Socialist...

you should really educate yourself and learn what a real socialist is before you show how stupid you really are. Read the real meaning and then get back on line so we can discuss in an educated manner.

[sgtsabai]

Ignore the right wing ignoramus troll. ........... ........ http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/06/04/fueling-sanders-turnout-hope-california-reports-record-surge-new-voters