Berning Embers

The motto is "Feel the Bern" and no one can deny that Bernie Sanders has turned the Democratic Presidential race upside down. He draws the crowds of a rock star and those supporters combined with a huge number that will never attend a rally are keeping him flush with cash through small donations. No pundit or consultant would have predicted the phenomenon of Bernie Sanders a year ago. Virtually all dismissed his campaign as the lark of a cranky democratic socialist. All that is except the man who would become Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, Robbie Mook. He warned Clinton and company that Sanders would be a formidable and aggressive opponent. He was right.

Fortunately for Clinton, Sanders is unwilling to completely eviscerate her on her biggest vulnerabilities. He wants to keep it on the issues, which speaks well of him. In spite of what the Clinton campaign has said, he has never gone negative.

We are now in critical territory. They basically tied in Iowa, which by the way still has not announced the final numbers. Sanders beat Clinton in New Hampshire. She won the Nevada Caucuses and then came South Carolina where Clinton decimated Sanders. Decimated is the word Sanders used. Unlike Republicans who act as though losing was a victory, Sanders matter of factly states he lost, no spin and no excuses.

Going into Super Tuesday the Sanders Campaign projected they would win five States. They won four but it is the fifth one that is most telling. Clinton beat them in Massachusetts where the Clinton team didn't think they would be victorious. This is the home State of progressive icon Elizabeth Warren, the only female Democratic Senator who didn't endorse Clinton. The outcome of this primary proves two things, the first is that Clinton doesn't need Warren's seal of approval and the second is that in spite of the apparent movement surrounding Sanders this loss is the first crack in his campaign and could be a shadow of problems yet to come.

Clearly Warren has no intention of endorsing anyone because when it mattered most was the days preceding Super Tuesday. As close as she may be to Sanders ideologically she was not interested in putting her own brand on the line.

We have now come to the point in the post where Kanesrealm rips the media a new one. Many outlets, especially MSNBC keep showing the Democratic delegate count and to the unknowing you might draw the conclusion that Clinton's numbers are so overwhelming that Sanders can't catch up. But those numbers include the Super Delegate count, who MSNBC says have indicated in interviews they are already in Clinton's corner. Those numbers should not be shown in the basic count as it could discourage Sanders' supporters from showing up to vote. Those Super Delegates do not vote until the Convention, for that matter no delegate votes until then. The basic delegates will however vote according to the will of their State's voters. The Supers are under no such obligation and probably will go for Clinton if it becomes necessary but to indicate that number in the count during the primaries is unacceptable.

Hillary Clinton is now running a much better campaign and is taking no votes for granted. Bernie Sanders has made her a better candidate and helped her to hone a better message for the General Election if she is the nominee.

California doesn't vote until June and it is almost a certainty that Sanders will still be fighting for the nomination then. As long as those small donations keep coming in at record numbers he has every reason to keep going unless he gets overwhelmingly crushed in the next several primaries.