NOGALES, Ariz. (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he will fight for immigration reform while standing yards from a border fence that divides Arizona and Mexico.
The Vermont senator was accompanied by Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada and U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva during the Saturday morning press conference in Nogales, Arizona.
Sanders also spoke with two young immigrants while walking alongside a port of entry on the international border. A small group of people who identified themselves as U.S. military veterans stood on the Mexican side of the fence cheering, while one man protested.
Sanders has focused his campaign almost exclusively in Arizona in the past week as the looks to rebound from his defeat last week to Hillary Clinton.
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I don’t think that this is Sanders wheelhouse. While he has appeal, it is not mass appeal and it’s kind of late to just start banging that drum.
In the end, Arizona is a blood red state that neither he or Hillary will win. He should focus on California which has a huge Latino population and is the crown jewel of electoral votes.
Sanders has no time to think about electoral votes. If he does not find delegates then the electoral college does not matter to him.
And almost vice versa. He has to win big states and win those big states big.
However you look at it, he is in quite the mathematical conundrum. Cali will go Clinton and real big I’ll bet.
If there is an anti-Trump backlash of sufficient severity, several red states might be in play. Arizona might well send a Democratic Senator this year, and even the state itself is closer to purple than is widely appreciated.
And Arizona is a closed primary-Democrats only.