Chuck Todd, on NH Winner and National Poll Leader Bernie Sanders: I Don’t Understand How He’s ‘Considered a Frontrunner’
In discussing last night’s New Hampshire results, Chuck Todd said he doesn’t understand how Bernie Sanders is considered a frontrunner now.
The results in Iowa (as of this posting) have Pete Buttigieg in first but Sanders winning the popular vote. Last night in New Hampshire, Sanders won the primary, followed by Buttigieg in second and Amy Klobuchar in third. And the most recent Real Clear Politics average shows the Vermont senator topping the national polls.
Meanwhile, over on CNN, Jake Tapper said that Sanders is the clear Democratic frontrunner.
“While Pete Buttigieg is certainly a frontrunner, and right now they might be neck and neck in delegates, Bernie Sanders is THE Democratic frontrunner for the presidential nomination,” @JakeTapper says
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 12, 2020
And FiveThirtyEight guru Nate Silver gives Sanders a 1 in 3 chance to capture a majority of delegates — putting him well ahead of the next candidate, Joe Biden, who has a 1 in 6 chance.
But on MSNBC today, Todd had a different take, saying to his panel, “I don’t know why some people — I feel like the only people going out on a limb and calling Bernie Sanders a frontrunner, they have other reasons to call him a frontrunner. It feels like no frontrunner right now. One person leads delegates, one person has a lock on a chunk of the party. But we don’t know where this goes.”
Todd and the panel talked about the overall Democratic field, raising the big question about Michael Bloomberg’s impact.
At one point Cornell Belcher said, “I think Iowa and New Hampshire don’t mean what Iowa and New Hampshire meant a decade ago.”
Todd said, “Iowa seemed to have an impact on Pete Buttigieg.”
“Well, did it?” Belcher asked. “Who is the frontrunner?”
Todd said, “I don’t understand how Bernie is considered a frontrunner. This is a guy that — more people showed up to the polls, highest turnout even, and his percentage went down, not up.”
You can watch above, via MSNBC.
