Bad omen for Bernie Sanders: Moderates outnumber liberals at polls in early going

https://amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/feb/17/moderate-democrats-outnumber-liberals-iowa-new-ham/

Not so fast, Bernie.

Despite the strong showing by avowed socialist Sen. Bernard Sanders in the first two nominating contests in the Democratic presidential race, the party’s moderate wing turned out in larger numbers than liberal voters in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Democratic strategists and pollsters see a wide lane available for one of the candidates to unite the moderate wing and snatch the nomination from Mr. Sanders like Hillary Clinton did in 2016.

Mr. Sanders, of Vermont, finished at the top of the field in neighboring New Hampshire and a whisker behind former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg in Iowa, but now he is likely to face an uphill climb. His far-left vision for the party becomes a tougher sell as the race heads to Southern states. In South Carolina, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden holds a lead.