Special to the AmNews
After stemming Sen. Bernie Sanders’s political tsunami in Nevada, Hillary Clinton told her supporters she was on her way to Texas. And while it’s a long way to July and Philadelphia, she could have signaled that destination as well as she enjoys a substantial lead in the upcoming primary in South Carolina.
It may not have been an overwhelming win for Clinton in Nevada, hardly the nirvana she once envisioned, but she did fortify her firewall and brush aside some of the wind, if not the bluster, of her opponent’s momentum.
Clinton beat Sanders by nearly six points, and even more telling, she racked up a considerable number of delegates. Her total of 502 combines pledged and superdelegates swamps Sanders’ 70. A total of 2,383 is needed to win the nomination.
On Super Tuesday, March 1, when several states hold their primaries and caucuses—many of them in the South—Clinton could make it super bad for Sanders and grab an insurmountable lead over him.
“I want to congratulate Senator Sanders on a hard fought race here,” Clinton began in her victory speech in Las Vegas. “I want to thank each and every one of you. You turned out in every corner of this state with determination and purpose. Hotel and casino workers who never wavered.”
If the exit and entrance polls are accurate, it was the casino and hotel workers who provided the victory margin. And we can’t exclude the influence Harry Reid, the Senate minority leader, who is from Nevada, had on the outcome. Clinton emphasized their significance, but her gratitude was extended to the “tens of thousands men and women with kids to raise, bills to pay and dreams that won’t die.”
For the moment, Clinton’s pragmatism seems to have trumped Sanders’ idealism.
There was concern from the Clinton team going into the contest in this diverse state, but she fared favorably, and if this outcome is any indication, it augurs well for the contests ahead in states with similar diversity and demographics.
“I’m on my way to Texas, and Bill is going to Colorado,” she concluded, adding, “The fight goes on!”
That’s certainly the attitude Sanders invoked during his concession speech, assuring his adoring throng that he has sent the nation a message. “Five weeks ago, we were 25 points behind in the polls and we have made some real progress,” he said Saturday. “What this entire campaign has been about is the issue of momentum, is the issue of bringing more people into the political process.”
He has one week to see if he can regain the momentum that brought him a decisive victory in New Hampshire and narrow loss in Iowa.
If the polls are correct, Sanders better get ready for another pasting in South Carolina. Clinton seems to have the upper hand, and with a handful of victories among the several states holding primaries and caucuses, she will go a long way toward the delegates she needs in July in Philadelphia.
Beyond Philly is another major obstacle from the Republican quarters and maybe a showdown with Donald Trump, who continues to amass victories, including a big win in South Carolina, with Marco Rubio narrowly besting Ted Cruz for second place.
With Jeb Bush having bowed out of the race, things are sure to tighten among the leaders, and we can expect John Kasich and Dr. Ben Carson to be the next to exit the race.
When it gets down to two or three contenders for the Republican nominee, we will get a better idea on how the party lines up for the general election, which should be a donnybrook.
