Bernie Sanders’ Superdelegate Plan Puts His Progressive Base In A Bind

By Amanda Terkel, Sam Stein


WASHINGTON — A day after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) lost the New York primary election that he desperately needed to win, there were no signs that he would dial back his campaign against Hillary Clinton before the Democratic convention in July.

Mark Longabaugh, a top aide to the senator, told The Huffington Post that Sanders is prepared to stay in the race even if it becomes clear that Clinton has a majority of the pledged delegates and an insurmountable lead after the final primary on June 7.

The strategy outlined by Longabaugh echoed the case made the night before by Sanders’ campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, who told MSNBC that the campaign will try to flip superdelegates away from Clinton before the convention. Neither candidate, Longabaugh argued, will have enough pledged delegates to secure the presidential nomination without the help of superdelegates. The latter officials will then have to decide which candidate gives the party the best shot to win in November. Sanders and his aides believe they have the better case.

“We intend to go to the convention and make the superdelegates vote,” Longabaugh said.

Whether overconfidence or merely a bluff, the posture of the Sanders campaign creates a delicate dynamic for Democrats hoping for a relatively quiet end to the primary season. It also puts many of Sanders’ supporters in a difficult position, since they have been the ones demanding that superdelegates stick by the candidate who heads into the convention with the most votes.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-superdelegates_us_5717eb61e4b024dae4f0ec60