Sanders Now National Frontrunner for Nomination

Tuesday, February 11, Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire primary by 2 points – closer than expected. But more significantly, nine days after the results of the Iowa caucus, in which he also ran neck-and-neck with Pete Buttigieg, Sanders became the new national polling leader, ahead of Joe Biden by 3 points. Michael Bloomberg is now in third, ahead of a fading Elizabeth Warren and not yet national campaigners, Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar.

As predicted, Michael Bennet finally dropped out, receiving less than a 1,000 votes out of nearly 300,000 cast and as Colorado Democrats started to vote. Some post New Hampshire observations:

• Can Sanders get more than a quarter of the Party? If Warren drops out, does he pick up 10 points of her 13 points of national support?
• Is Buttigieg the moderate challenger or does Michael Bloomberg’s March 3 national entrance into the race make him frontrunner of the moderate wing of the party?
• How long does the alternative to Sanders stay divided between two to four candidates?
• When does Biden run out of money and believability? There were several reasons for his collapse, but mostly they are a factor of his repeated weak performances in debates and events.
• Does this contest need a convention to sort it out?

Democratic presidential candidates take the stage for first primary debate after
the Iowa caucuses in New Hampshire, Feb. 7, 2020 | Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Read The Buzz:

Bennet’s Last Day
Why is Michael Bennet in New Hampshire?