Democratic White House hopeful Bernie Sanders said the US needs "a foreign policy that not only protects Israel but deals with the suffering of the Palestinian people as well"
Democratic White House hopeful Bernie Sanders said the US needs "a foreign policy that not only protects Israel but deals with the suffering of the Palestinian people as well" AFP / Eric BARADAT

KEY POINTS

  • Biden is staying close in Texas
  • Sanders is strong in California
  • It's time for Warren to cut bait or fish

The Democrats' 2020 presidential nominee will not be selected on Super Tuesday, but someone could take a big step toward that goal. One-third of the 1,990 Democrat delegates are up for grabs.

The states with most to offer, California and Texas, are tilting toward Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., according to the latest polling from those states.

In California, CBS News polled 1,411 likely Democratic voters between Feb. 27 and Feb. 29 and found 31% favored the Vermont senator. Former Vice President Joe Biden was second with 19%, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was third with 18%. Two former candidates -- former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer -- scored a combined 12%.

If all that vote goes to Biden, he would be in a toss-up with Sanders. However, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is in this race too. While he only polled at 12%, he may benefit by the removal of so-called moderates from the race.

15% is the key number here. A candidate needs to reach that number to claim any delegates. Warren doesn’t have any delegates yet. She has to do well in states like California, her own Massachusetts, and Virginia, or consider throwing in the towel.

A smaller, but more recent, poll by Emerson College, has Sanders at 38%, Biden 21% and Warren 16%.

California has 416 delegates at stake.

{"id":"Elizabeth Warren","type":"widget","widget":"video","ratio":"16by9"}

Polls are much tighter in Texas. Two polls with small sample sizes have Bloomberg in front of Warren, who comes in third.

CBS News polled 635 likely Democratic voters between Feb. 27 and Feb. 29 and 30% of those said they favored Sanders, which was four points higher than Biden; Warren was a strong third with 17%, and Buttigieg had 5% support.

Of the 513 voters questioned by Data for Freedom between Feb. 23 and Feb. 27, 39% favored Sanders, with Biden and Bloomberg tied at 21%. Warren followed at 13%.

Sanders won the Hispanic voters easily. But more than half of the African Americans polled said they were for Biden. Bloomberg scored best among people over 45 years old. Buttigieg and Steyer, scored a combined 10%.

A poll hasn’t been reported in Minnesota (91 delegates) since Feb. 20. The Star Tribune poll showed Sen. Amy Klobuchar over Sanders 29-23.

The next three largest delegate states -- North Carolina, Virginia and Massachusetts -- combine for just 300 envoys. NC, with 110 ambassadors is close with 22% favoring Biden, 19.5% for Sanders and Bloomberg at 16%, according to Real Clear Politics.

Virginia is another close one. Sanders leads Bloomberg 25 – 19.5. Biden trails in third with 18.5% of the vote. Buttigieg was polling 11.5 in the state with its 99 delegates.

Sanders is leading Warren in Massachusetts (91 ambassadors) by 4% in the poll. Sanders is rolling over in Colorado 30.5 -17.5; the state has 67 delegates. Buttigieg was polling 13% in Colorado.

Joe biden