Election 2020: Sanders Asks Warren For Backing, 'We're Asking For Support'

Embattled Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, desperately needs an endorsement from fellow progressive -- and ex-friend -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to stem the onrushing tide that threatens to sweep former Vice President Joe Biden all the way to the nomination if he wins the mini-Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses March 10.

On Sunday, Sanders sought to downplay the rising animosity between his and Warren's supporters, which pundits believe is the main issue holding back Warren's endorsement of Sanders. Last Friday (March 6), Warren complained loudly about the raging “online bullying and organized nastiness” by Sanders' supporters directed against her and her followers. Sanders quickly sought to assuage Warren's concerns.

“I am concerned about the kind of ugliness that exists on the internet and the Twitter world in general, it is very ugly,” said Sanders. “And I will not deny for a second that we have some people who claim to be supporters, although I have a hard time understanding why they think they can support me and make vicious personal attacks against people. That’s not what our campaign is about.”

Sanders continues his pursuit of Warren's endorsement despite the indication she might not endorse either him or Biden.

“We would love to have Senator Warren’s support, we would love to have the millions of people who supported Senator Warren,” Sanders said on CNN’s State of the Union.

“Senator Warren talked about a wealth tax, something I think is enormously important. We also have a wealth tax, nuanced different from hers but the same principle at a time of massive income and wealth inequality. We’ve reached out, we’re looking and asking for the support of Senator Warren’s supporters, and hope they come on board,” Sanders said.

Strangely, Sanders also seemed resigned to not winning Warren's endorsement and gave a surpriging answer when asked by host Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press if he thought he could win the nomination without Warren’s support

“Of course we can," insisted Sanders. "We can win this because we are going to win the support of working people all over this country.”

Warren's endorsement, however, has become more important following Biden's endorsement by Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who was a former hopeful for the Democratic ticket. Sanders did receive a valuable endorsement from Jesse Jackson, the veteran civil rights leader who remains popular among African Americans.

“A people far behind cannot catch up choosing the most moderate path,” Jackson said in a statement. “The most progressive social and economic path gives us the best chance to catch up and Bernie Sanders represents the most progressive path.”

Biden and Sanders, who held the frontrunner title until South Carolina happened Feb. 29, will again face-off in Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington. Combined, these six state have 352 pledged delegates. Next Tuesday, March 17, come the four primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. On March 24, Georgia votes.

Biden leads the delegate count with 664 delegates, from the Iowa caucus until Super Tuesday on March 3 which held 14 state primaries. Biden won 10 out of the 14 Super Tuesday states, including a shock win in Texas where he was widely expected to lose. Sanders won the remaining four including delegate-rich California.

Sanders has 573 delegates from all of the races so far. A total of 1,397 delegates out of the 1,991 delegates needed to clinch the nomination have been awarded so far. Warren, who withdrew from the race last week, is thirtd with 64 delegates.

Sanders is looking to win in Michigan, which he seized in a surprise but narrow upset win over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Pundits, however, note Sanders might not be able to repeat this time around as the youth and Latino vote might not be enough to carry him over the finish line. FiveThirtyEight's latest poll shows Biden with a 9-point lead over Sanders. Michigan has 125 delegates. A state-by-state reckoning of mini-Super Tuesday also gives Biden the edge.

Sanders has vowed to support to Biden if he wins the nomination. “We’ve got to do everything possible to defeat Trump. I’ll support Joe if he wins, he’ll support me if I win,” he said.