Arizona insider: Hillary Clinton’s Nevada win all but locks up Democratic nomination
Feb 22, 2016, 9:51 AM
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — Hillary Clinton edged Bernie Sanders in the Nevada Caucuses and an Arizona-based political observer said now the former Secretary of State has all but locked up the Democratic nomination heading into the next primaries.
South Carolina’s presidential Democratic primary is Feb. 27, followed by Super Tuesday on March 1.
“This was a state that Bernie Sanders was surging in and he had the ability to pull off an upset in the first diverse primary state, frankly,” former Arizona State legislator Chris Herstam said.
“Diverse with regard to racial makeup. Sanders has moved Clinton further left on issues and created a lot of excitement amongst newcomers and young Democrats. I think Clinton is now unstoppable,” he said.
Herstam also believed Republican front-runner Donald Trump was unstoppable in his quest to become his party’s nominee.
“He now goes into Nevada on Tuesday and is expected to win there easily and should be very successful in the south on Super Tuesday. It could very well be that Donald Trump cannot be stopped,” he said.
Much of the talk after Trump’s win in South Carolina surrounded speeches from fellow hopefuls Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
Despite a 10-point loss, both candidates’ words sounded more like victory speeches.
Herstam said competitors can beat their chests and claim victory with a second or third -place finish, but other than Cruz’s win in Iowa, neither has really exhibited the ability to defeat Trump.