Sanders was expected to lose Michigan by massive margins. While he has pulled similar come-from-behind feats in recent weeks, from nearly tying in Iowa to sweeping Minnesota and Oklahoma—all of which were predicted just a few days beforehand to fall into Hillary Clinton’s hands—Michigan represents the largest turnaround yet. RealClearPolitics’ average anticipated a Clinton win by 21.4 percent.

Pundits across the spectrum have noted that Sanders needs something to jolt his campaign back into gear—the Washington Post asserted on Monday that one of the reasons he lost Sunday night’s debate in Flint, Michigan (whose county he won) was that he “failed to change the underlying dynamic of the race.”

That is no longer the case. Bernie has shifted expectations and pulled the greatest turnaround of this race. Michigan shows that his campaign can continue its practice of defying conventional political wisdom in favor of a new and radical mass politics.

If Sanders can continue to defy expectations in key states similar to Michigan, and pick up enough smaller states on the way, he could well scrap his way to the Democratic nomination—and change the nature of the Democratic Party while he’s at it.