Does Sanders have warrant for sticking to race against Clinton?

Clinton holds 1,716-1,433 lead
with 879 delegates remaining

A win in West Virginia on Tuesday has done little to quell the pleas from rank-and-file Democrats for Bernie Sanders to drop out of the presidential contest in his party.

Except, among his supporters.

“Obviously his supporters are diehards, shall we say,” University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political scientist Joe Heim said. “They’re hanging on to, at least, some kind of limited hope.”

The delegate math isn’t much better, even after Sanders’ 18-11 (delegates) victory over Hillary Clinton in West Virginia.

He still has to win two thirds of the remaining pledged delegates to have a slim majority in the delegate count going into this summer’s convention.

In the race to 2,381, Hillary Clinton has a 1,716 delegates to Sanders’ 1,433. There are 879 delegates remaining in 11 territories (nine states, along with Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico). California alone has 475 delegates.

So, perhaps Sanders and his supporters have a reason to hold out. In general election polls against Donald Trump, he wins every one, hands down. Clinton, however, doesn’t even sweep Trump in all major polls.

In seven major general election polls, Clinton comes out just 6.4 points better than Trump. And, Trump has her beat in the Rasmussen Reports poll by two points.

Meanwhile, when Sanders comes out 13 points better, winning all six polls.

Despite the polls, and the momentum Sanders still holds, Heim doesn’t believe Sanders should stand strong.

“He doesn’t seem to be helping his party that much, frankly, and I suppose that’s because he’s not a real Democrat,” Heim said of Sanders, the longest serving independent in U.S. Congressional history.