An Associated Press survey has Clinton clinching victory almost eight years to the day after she conceded her first White House campaign to Barack Obama and famously noted her inability to “shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling”.
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“And we will come together and be prepared to go to the convention in a unified way, to make our case, to leave the convention, to go into the general election to defeat Donald Trump”, Clinton said.
Right now California polls have an average of about two points between the candidates, with Mrs Clinton ahead but flagging after a concerted Sanders push across the state.
Since Democrats award their delegates proportionally, Clinton would need less than one-quarter of the vote to pick up those 26 delegates in a state where polls show her winning by double digits. Superdelegates back Clinton by a wide margin, but Sanders hopes he can get them to defect.
But if Clinton reaches the 2,383 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, Obama may end his neutrality. “They are committed. They have voted for me in great numbers across our country for many reasons, but among those reasons is their belief that having a woman president will make a great statement, a historic statement about what kind of country we are, what we stand for”.
After staying above the campaign fray for months, Obama could endorse his former secretary of state as early as this week, the New York Times and CNN reported. She also has the support of 571 superdelegates – party insiders -according to an Associated Press count. Sanders is counting on a “surge in California voter registration”, according to the Washington Times, on the theory that many/most new voters would vote for him.
In a statement Tuesday night, Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs reiterated that message, saying “Secretary Clinton does not have and will not have the requisite number of pledged delegates to secure the nomination”.
The 74-year-old, who it’s been estimated has more supporters under the age of 30 than Clinton and Trump combined has urged media outlets not to call the outcome just yet.
“So any woman who runs – to say that it is sexist, that any – so if Hillary Clinton runs for president is your point, that it is sexist for any man to oppose her?” “It means the world to me”, said Clinton.
Sanders has vowed to continue his fight for the nomination until the Democratic Party’s national convention in late July by convincing superdelegates committed to Clinton to switch their support over to him.
“Our job from now until the convention is to convince those superdelegates that Bernie is by far the strongest candidate against Donald Trump”, he added.
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Sanders also swept through California this past weekend, verbally attacking Trump, but also telling supporters the Democratic game wasn’t over. “I look forward to campaigning with the President and everyone else because…I think that Donald Trump is unqualified to be President”.
