BERNED OUT
Biden tells humiliated socialist Bernie to throw in the towel and work WITH him after his mini-Super Tuesday win
JOE Biden called on Bernie Sanders to throw in the towel and work together after the former VP scored another dramatic Super Tuesday win.
77, crushed his Democratic rival last night during the latest round of voting in the race to take on Donald Trump in the upcoming general election.
Six states were up for grabs and three - , and the top-prize - fell to Biden in quick succession, leaving Sanders with little hope of a comeback.
was called at 1am local time in Biden's favor.
By Wendesday afternoon, Biden and Sanders had 17 delegates each in as the state continued to tally up votes.
The Vermont senator narrowly edged out the former vice president in - Sanders won eight of the states 14 delegates, while Biden won 6.
Biden has 847 delegates ahead of Sanders who has 685.
In order to secure the Democratic nomination for president, the candidate needs 1,991 delegates.
Biden is now the clear favorite to the win the race and has widespread support within the party.
The winner will be unveiled as the candidate at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee in July.
BIDEN PULLS FURTHER AHEAD
During a victory speech in Philadelphia last night, Biden urged Sanders to pull out of the primaries and described his bid to take on Trump as "a battle for the soul of this nation."
The next key dates in the Democratic race are March 17, when four states are contested, and April 4 where another four are up for grabs.
It is on those dates where the former Vice President will be hoping to pull even further away from Bernie forcing the socialist to finally quit the contest.
Accompanied by his wife Jill last night, a triumphant Biden said: "Just over a week ago, many declared this candidacy was dead but now we're very much alive."
Biden even thanked Sanders' supporters - some of whom have been known to intimidate rivals - for their "tireless energy and their passion."
And in a dig at Trump, he claimed he would bring back "decency" and "honor" to the White House and vowed to build on Obama Care.
Later, Biden pledged to take on American gun manufacturers just hours after he said he wouldn't interfere with the Second Amendment.
'SHUT THIS PRIMARY DOWN'
Rep. Jim Clyburn, who was crucial to Biden's South Carolina win, suggested "shutting this primary down" as a result of the former Vice President's winning streak.
"If the night ends the way it has begun, I think it is time for us to shut this primary down, it is time for us to cancel the rest of these debates," .
"Because you don’t do anything but get yourself in trouble if you continue in this contest when it’s obvious that the numbers will not shake out for you."
WHEN WILL THE RESULT BE DECIDED?
Precisely when voters will know who is to face Donald Trump in this year's election depends on whether any one candidate can secure the Democratic nomination before the convention in July.
To do so, they will have to win a majority of the delegate votes up for grabs, or 1,991 of 3,979.
As things stand, Joe Biden leads with 823, Bernie Sanders has 663, while Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg have 69 and 61 respectively.
If Biden or Sanders can reach the necessary 1,991 delegates before the Democratic National Convention on July 13-16, they will be the nominee.
If they don't, a contested convention will be held.
If a first round of voting by delegates produces no winner, a second round will then be held in which 771 so-called superdelegates chosen by party leaders - typically members or congress or other elected officials - will be allowed to cast deciding votes.
Even Biden's former presidential rival Andrew Yang endorsed him live on air, describing him as a "decent man" on CNN.
Michigan was the biggest prize of the night, with the state delivering a total of 125 delegates - by far the most of any of the six up for grabs on Tuesday.
Biden's remarkable resurgence since his Super Tuesday victory last week has been in spite of repeated gaffes on his campaign - including during a victory speech.
The result has dealt a serious blow to left-winger Sanders, who is urgently seeking to restart his flagging campaign.
He could still get a boost in Idaho, North Dakota or Washington state but fewer delegates are at stake than in Mississippi, Missouri and Michigan, where Biden galvanized working-class voters and African Americans.
One of the few bright notes for Sanders was his strength among young voters, but even that has a downside because they didn't turn out enough to keep him competitive.
'TOUGH NIGHT' FOR THE LEFT
Sanders won 70 per cent of those under 30 in Missouri and 64 per cent in Michigan, according to Associated Press.
The senator was also about even with Biden among voters ages 30 to 44.
"There's no sugarcoating it. Tonight's a tough night," New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of Sanders' highest-profile supporters, said on Instagram.
"Tonight's a tough night for the movement overall. Tonight's a tough night electorally."
Another top Sanders backer, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, tweeted: "Yes we are a family, united in restoring our democracy and committed to defeating Trump, but that doesn't mean we should stop fighting for the candidate that best represents our policy priorities in this Primary."
easily breezed the Republican primaries in the mini-Super Tuesday states after being handed a clear-run to victory effectively without opposition given his popularity among Republicans.
According to CNN exit polls, 66 percent of black voters in Michigan and 69 percent of black voters in Missouri voted for Biden.
Sanders basically handed the southern state to Biden after bowing out of his Jackson appearance.
Although Sanders has strong support from, the Vermont senator has struggled to garner support from African Americans, unlike his Dem rival.
Biden won Missouri four years ago - but Sanders lost the "Show Me State" to Hillary Clinton.
Both men were focused intensely on Michigan, where Sanders scored an upset that lent much-needed credibility to his 2016 primary challenge.
It's also where's 10,000-vote victory was so narrow - with desperate Dems now wanting to show they have the strength to flip the state back.
While the Dem battle rages on, so too does the outbreak which n Ohio tonight.
The Democratic National Committee also said that Sunday's debate between Sanders and Biden would be conducted without an audience.
Biden has campaigned with Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, and appeared with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer - all of who are possible vice presidential picks.
Speaking about his endorsement of Biden on CNN, Yang said: "We have to actually start doing the work that activated people to vote for Donald Trump, that activated people to get out and vote for Bernie Sanders.
"I believe Joe is open to that message. His heart's in the right place. He's a really patriotic public servant, decent man."
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The turnaround is remarkable for Biden, who lagged behind Sanders just two weeks ago and experienced numerous gaffes on the campaign trail.
He recently snapped at a Detroit worker who accused him of trying to end Americans' Second Amendment Rights, saying "you're full of s**t!"
But his rival Sanders has insisted he won't drop out of the race if today doesn't go well, claiming he's "battling the Democratic establishment."
Biden scores wins in Mississippi and Missouri as ‘Joementum’ dominates Bernie’s campaign
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