A Closer Look into the Democratic Primaries with Hilary Clinton an Bernie Sanders
Statistics from Iowa
The Democratic Frontrunner Hillary Clinton has managed to a clutched win in the Iowa Caucus, winning by a mere 0.02% against Bernie Sanders. Clinton received 23 delegates to Sanders’ 21. For both campaigns, this caucus is seen as a victory. Hillary Clinton was able to clinch out a win and prove once again why she is the Democratic Frontrunner. This also comes as good news for her campaign, which has seen public support dramatically increase for Clinton’s opponent. Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, proved how efficient and viable his campaign is. He has gone from a fringe candidate to a serious contender for the nomination. After a severe underperformance by Martin O’Malley, he has decided to call it quits and ended his run.
Sanders had overwhelming support from young voters. Over 80% of Iowa Caucus goers aged 18 to 24 chose Sanders over Clinton. On the other hand, Clinton has greater support from voters aged 45 and higher. While liberals and progressives are more likely to align themselves with Sanders, Clinton still attracts more of the moderate Democrats.
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Clinton’s Delegate-Count Advantage
Clinton is still holds a significant amount of “superdelegates” which are chosen by elected Democrat officials and members of the Democratic National Committee. Clinton already has 357 pledged superdelegates compared to Bernie Sanders’ 14. The caveat to superdelegates though is that they can shift their support from one candidate to another.
2,382 delegates, hard and superdelegates, are required to win the Democratic nomination. Clinton has already taken about half of the superdelegates available. Should Bernie Sanders continue to do well against Hillary Clinton, some superdelegates are bound to switch sides however.
Beyond the Iowa Caucus
The next state to hold a primary is New Hampshire. There Bernie Sanders hold a dominant lead over Clinton. Polls show him to be ahead of Clinton at a 2 to 1 ratio. However, the polls are reversed in Nevada and South Carolina where Clinton holds a strong lead. These four states precede Super Tuesday where 12 states will hold their caucuses/primaries.
Bernie Sanders will need to be able to connect with states with more racial diversity in order to sustain his momentum. This is something Clinton already has with a steady lead in support from non-white voters at about 67%.