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The Math Just Doesn’t Add Up For Bernie Sanders Despite Indiana Victory

By Val Powell
Published on: 02:08 PST, May 5, 2016

The Indiana primary may have marked the end of Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s campaign, but for Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders, it is only the beginning.

“It’s going to give us a great deal of momentum,” Sanders said, explaining how his recent victory will change the direction of the contest. While his win will likely do little to change the result of the race, Sanders still believes “it’s a start.”

After winning Indiana, Sanders said he will stay in the contest until the last primary. He believes that continuing the fight is good for the nation and the Democratic Party because he is engaging people, especially the young ones, in the political process.

During an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, scheduled to air on Morning Edition on Thursday, Sanders was asked if he is “threatening revolution” by deciding to stay in the race, potentially preventing some voters from supporting his rival, Hillary Clinton.

“I think we are perpetuating the political revolution by significantly increasing the level of political activity that we’re seeing in this country,” Sanders explained. He continued, “I think it is good for the United States of America, good for the Democratic Party, to have a vigorous debate, to engage people in the political process.”

Bernie Sanders thinks it is important to get the voters involved in the political process because this will help strengthen the Democratic Party in November, thereby giving voters more reasons to cast their votes in the upcoming elections.

“So I’m going to do everything I can to stimulate political discourse in this country and get young people, working people, involved in the political process,” Sanders explained.

The latest surveys also showed that most Democrats want the senator to stay in the race, as they believe it will make the future Democratic standard bearer stronger.

Ben Wilker, Washington director for MoveOn, a group supporting Bernie Sanders, also believes that the senator “is energizing Democrats and that is a good thing.”

Even though he won in Indiana, it still seems impossible for Bernie Sanders to beat Hillary Clinton, especially now that the former State Secretary has secured an additional 37 pledged delegates in the state. Clinton now has 92 percent of the delegates needed to win the nomination.

Bernie Sanders will have to secure “65 percent of all remaining pledged delegates for a pledged majority and 82 percent of all delegates including remaining superdelegates — to pull past Clinton overall,” according to NPR.

Despite Clinton’s huge delegate lead, Sanders is still hoping he can clinch the nomination.

“We think we have a path toward victory — admittedly it is a narrow path,” said the Vermont senator.

Bernie Sanders thinks if he is able to defeat Clinton in states such as California and Oregon, as he has in Utah, where he got 79 percent and Washington with almost 73 percent, he can still pull off an upset. Moreover, he would need to sway superdelegates to back him in order to change the course of the race.

“I think we have got to make the case that the superdelegates, who in many cases were on board [with] Hillary Clinton even before I got in the race, that they should take a hard look at which candidate is stronger against Donald Trump,” explained Sanders. “And I think we can make that case.”

The Democratic nominee must be able to win 2,383 delegates to become the Party’s official nominee, and Bernie Sanders already has 1,444 delegates, according to the recent CNN delegate tally. However, he would need more than 100 percent of the remaining uncommitted delegates.

Campaign manager Jeff Weaver said they are doing their best to persuade the remaining superdelegates to support Bernie Sanders.

[Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images]

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