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Bernie Sanders Has ‘No Chance’ At Democratic Presidential Nomination After Hillary Clinton Win In Puerto Rico

By Christian Savoy
Published on: 15:50 PST, Jun 5, 2016

After a Hillary Clinton win in the Puerto Rico Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders has virtually no chance at becoming the Democratic presidential candidate. As reported by CNN, Clinton is closing in on a historic nomination as the first female presidential nominee, and she is now just a few delegates shy of the 2,383 she needs to win the Democratic nomination. As of the time of this report, Clinton has 2,355 delegates while Sanders trails far behind with 1,563.

According to Patch, Sanders did not win himself any favors with Democrats in Puerto Rico. On Saturday, his campaign accused local party leaders of fraud, claiming that officials with the campaign were denied access to prisons to help inmates vote.

“Our Bernie Sanders officials were never certified. We had 40 officials we submitted in time for the prisons. Not one of them was certified, while all of theirs [Hillary Clinton’s] went in. Attorney Manny Suárez had to go in order for us to be let in. This is a great fraud,” Betsy Franceschini, Hispanic vote director for the campaign, told the publication.

As explained in the report, while residents of Puerto Rico — a U.S. territory — participate in the primary, they are not eligible to vote in the November election.

As said in a report from the Associated Press, the political revolution of Bernie Sanders — and how far he is willing to take his presidential campaign — could depend on the outcome of primaries in California on Tuesday, with Hillary Clinton prepared to secure the Democratic nomination in the coming days. A defeat in California, the most populous state in the country, will significantly weaken his position against Clinton, who has a considerable advantage among superdelegates, the elected leaders, and party officials who formally deposit their votes at the convention.

Although it is all but over for the Vermont senator, Sanders is showing no signs of surrender. Sanders will compete in the District of Columbia primaries on June 14, the last of the campaign. Washington, D.C., is expected to have 46 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 20 will be “pledged delegates.” Historically, the superdelegates have given their support to the candidate who wins the largest number of delegates in primaries and caucuses.

“The numbers aren’t going to lie and I think Senator Sanders will recognize the value in seeing his ideas and principles march forward when it’s a one-on-one race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump,” said Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., a top Clinton surrogate.

Meanwhile, Clinton has begun to turn her attention to Donald Trump as the November elections loom.

Most expect Clinton to clench the nomination after voting in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands over the weekend, and California, New Jersey, and four other states on Tuesday. While Clinton is the favorite for the Democratic nomination, Sanders, who calls himself a socialist, has refused to give up. The 74-year-old longtime politician has had great popular support, especially among younger voters, something that has boosted him over the months.

Steffen Schmidt, a professor of political science at Iowa State University, said Sanders has no chance to gain the Democratic nomination, and he believes that a lot of those people who have been attracted to the Sanders campaign are not a natural fit with Hillary Clinton. While on the other hand, Douglas E. Schoen, a columnist for the Washington Street Journal, indicates that if Clinton does not win California, it would be a reflection of her weakness and superdelegates could change their minds at the Democratic Convention in July.

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

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