Bernie Sanders Communications Director Michael Briggs: Clinton Will Not Have ‘The Requisite Number Of Pledged Delegates To Secure The Nomination’

Bernie Sanders isn’t going anywhere. He will be with us at least until the convention. Hillary did not clinch the election despite reports to the contrary. Michael Briggs, Sanders’ campaign communications director, wants everyone to know the primaries are not over till they are over, and even when they are, there will be no clear winner until the convention.

Bernie Sanders will continue to campaign until the very last primary in Washington, D.C., on June 14. The primary results are much closer than the mainstream media wants to acknowledge. Michael Briggs has issued a statement contesting AP‘s report that Clinton is the presumptive nominee. NPR reports the quote.

“It is unfortunate that the media, in a rush to judgment, are ignoring the Democratic National Committee’s clear statement that it is wrong to count the votes of superdelegates before they actually vote at the convention this summer,”

Bernie Sanders has been largely ignored and unfavorably treated by the mainstream media, at least that’s what it seems to Bernie supporters, but the internet has made a huge difference for his army of tech-savvy under-30 voters. Does the media fear losing control of election reporting to internet resources? Do they just like Hillary that much? At any rate, Sanders supporters note that Bernie gets very little air time, and election reporters insist on counting those uncountable superdelegates nearly every time.

How many times have the mainstream media forgotten one cannot count superdelegates until they vote at the convention? It goes without saying that they refuse to acknowledge that Hillary can’t count her superdelegates. They have been counting them for her since before the first primary, but according to the Democratic National Committee, they do not count yet, and may not ever. It all depends on how they actually vote on July 25.

Bernie Sanders communications director Michael Briggs explains via NPR that Hillary will not have enough votes to clinch the nomination without counting her superdelegates, and they do not count until the convention.

“Secretary Clinton does not have and will not have the requisite number of pledged delegates to secure the nomination. She will be dependent on superdelegates who do not vote until July 25 and who can change their minds between now and then. They include more than 400 superdelegates who endorsed Secretary Clinton 10 months before the first caucuses and primaries and long before any other candidate was in the race.”

Instead, Hillary Clinton should perhaps prepare for a loss in California where 650,000 new voters have registered in the last 45 days alone according to the New York Daily News. Chances are, the majority of these are not Clinton votes. It is generally credited to Bernie Sanders that a record-breaking 72 percent of California’s available voters are now registered to vote.

There are still 694 more delegates to be assigned in the May 7 primary and 20 more in the D.C. primary. That is 714 delegates in all. Hillary Clinton needs 571 of those to actually become the presumptive nominee. Sanders can’t possibly get quite enough either. Heavy reminds readers that Sanders would need 862, and there simply are not that many still left. It is possible he could gain enough to come close to matching or even beating Hillary. Polls indicate an even split among registered voters. Record numbers of new voters are voting for the first time. When her opponent has a following loaded with voters under 30 years old, it isn’t logical to think Hillary will win California.

Bernie Sanders’ campaign was again assailed this morning by members of the press determined to count superdelegates early. Kathleen Carol, AP executive director, claims to have polled no less than 571 superdelegates, and they all said yes to Clinton. All these are all very important and busy people, but AP claims to have spoken to every single one of them according to New York Daily News, who seemed a bit skeptical. This is probably because AP alleged to have conducted the survey in secret and they insist on protecting the identities of the superdelegates who responded.

Even if this is true, their votes don’t count until the convention. They have the extra month and a half to think for a reason, and this primary season should give them a lot to think about. Additionally, the primary results should weigh heavily in their decisions.

Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner was quoted by NPR while stumping for Bernie Sanders.

“We will not relent. We will fight on. And when the mainstream already calls the election… to suppress the vote in California, we will fight on!”

So Bernie Sanders will fight on, the convention awaits, and AP alleges that they polled the superdelegates, but a lot can happen between now and July 25.

[Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images]