Despite Facing Virtually Impossible Delegate Math, Sanders Says Withdrawing Would Be 'Outrageously Undemocratic'

With primary season in full swing, Bernie Sanders has been deemed the underdog again after a close loss to Hillary Clinton in several states. But with his surprising win in Michigan's primary last week, and with Arizona and California coming up next, Sanders insists his campaign is not over yet, the Washington Post reported Thursday evening.

While Sanders acknowledged Clinton will not be an easy opponent to beat, he was optimistic about the strength of his support. He said that to give up his campaign is an “outrageously undemocratic” notion.

But the Vermont senator's chances are unbelievably slim, at best. As AlterNet's Steve Rosenfeld pointed out after this week's Super Tuesday results: 

While Sanders' supporters will point to his overwhelming support among independents who voted in the Democratic primary, Clinton’s victories in those fall battleground states — as well as in South Carolina, Illinois and her razor-thin lead in Missouri—means it is virtually impossible for Sanders to win the delegates needed for the party’s nomination. That fact undoubtedly will take days to seep into his remarkable grassroots campaign.

Still, as the field of candidates grows smaller, many voters seem more and more disenchanted with their options, there are outlier camps rooting for an independent bid for Sanders if he loses the Democratic nomination — or for former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg to throw in his hat as an independent dark horse.

But this independent interest has diminished for fear of splitting a vote, as Trump's presidential campaign went from late-night-show joke material into a frighteningly real possibility. Democracy has yet again been simplified into an issue of two parties, neither of which satisfy many of America's strongest needs.

The Independent issued a report Friday saying that when it comes to how Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump fare with young voters under 30, “Bernie Sanders has more votes than both of them — combined.”

This means the call to make sure young voters actually show up to the polls is even more critical to Bernie's bid.