You Can Still Bet on Biden Winning Democratic Nomination After Sanders Drops Out
- Sportsbooks are still taking action on the 2020 Democratic Party nomination — even though Joe Biden is the only declared candidate
- Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race Wednesday
- Biden’s odds to win the nomination are -1200, on average
You can still still bet on Joe Biden to be the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nominee — even though he’s the only declared candidate still in the race.
One-time front-runner Bernie Sanders, who essentially got knocked out of the top spot following the South Carolina primary on Feb. 29, dropped out of the running Wednesday. Now, Biden is a heavy favorite to earn the nod to challenge President Trump in November, sitting at -1200 on average in the 2020 Democratic nomination odds.
Odds to earn 2020 Democratic Presidential Nomination
| Candidate | Average Odds |
|---|---|
| Joe Biden | -1200 |
| Hillary Clinton | +2000 |
| Andrew Cuomo | +2200 |
| Michelle Obama | +4000 |
Odds taken on April 8th.
So, the big question is why are not one, but multiple books, still taking action on this prop? Biden leads in the delegate count 1,217 to Sanders’ 914. He needs 1,991 to officially earn the nomination.
But with the coronavirus pandemic throwing the remaining primaries out of whack, who knows if Biden will even get to that number prior to the now-delayed Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee? COVID-19 concerns have thrown a major monkey wrench into the normal electoral process. Are those unknowns enough for this wager to still be live? Let’s further analyze and make a call.
Pandemic-onium
Sixteen states and one territory have either pushed back their presidential primaries or switched to voting by mail with extended deadlines due to the coronavirus. The Democratic National Committee’s rules committee is expected to meet in the coming weeks to approve waivers for states that move their primaries past June 9, the party’s original deadline for holding nominating contests. And the party’s convention in Milwaukee was moved from mid-July to mid-August out of health concerns. But actual postponement? That’s highly unlikely.
Joe Biden: "The idea of postponing an election is not possible." pic.twitter.com/66xMJterjc
— The Hill (@thehill) April 8, 2020
The Republican convention — or Trump coronation — is set for the week after the DNC in Charlotte. And the President has made it clear he’ll do everything in his power to avoid a cancellation of the event, social distancing and actual advice from medical experts be damned.
But this could play well for Biden. The prospect of an in-person — albeit scaled-down convention — might provide Biden a boost heading into the final months of the general election. He’s been critical of Trump’s handling of the outbreak lately and being the “science-first” candidate could score points with undecided voters. Even though the coronavirus has been an unprecedented factor in this national election cycle, it’s not enough to derail Biden’s bid for the White House.
Contenders or Novelties?
With Biden being the chalkiest of chalk, are the likes of Hillary Clinton, Andrew Cuomo or MIchelle Obama even worth a novelty wager? I would strongly advise against that strategy.
I shot down the notion of Cuomo making a run last week. And while the former First Lady made a rare public political statement, criticizing Wisconsin’s move to go forward with its primary this week during the pandemic, Obama simply isn’t a legitimate candidate.
That leaves another former First Lady. Sure, Clinton may be viewed as a backup if the unpredictable Biden somehow blows a microchip between now and the first Tuesday of November.
https://twitter.com/CausticBitchNC/status/1248028593965412353
But really, this is all timing. The party heavyweights will now publicly back Biden as the most-electable Democratic option in defeating Trump. Save your money for another outlandish future.
“Sleepy Joe” Has Awoken
President Trump tried to stir the pot during his White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing Wednesday.
President Trump on Obama not endorsing Joe Biden: “He knows something that you don’t know.. that I think I know.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 8, 2020
In a strange way, being forced to self-isolate may end up benefiting Biden. Being taken off the campaign trail has neutralized some of the apprehension many Democratic leaders had for the 77-year-old now-presumptive party nominee.
Trump and Biden discussed the coronavirus in a 15-minute phone call Monday that Trump called “really good, really nice.” But ultimately, the former governor of New Jersey said it best when it comes to sizing up what lies ahead. It all boils down to the coronavirus. A CNN poll Wednesday showed 55-percent of Americans said the federal government overall has done a poor job of confronting the outbreak.
Even Mr. Trump’s allies concede that this election will be an up-or-down vote on his performance handling the crisis.
“Politically, nothing else matters,” former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said Sunday on ABC. “And, in fact, I have never seen a time when an opponent is more irrelevant.”
He may not be irrelevant. But he’s the last Democrat standing. And that’s why Joe Biden is the only legitimate candidate to bet on to beat Trump.
Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.
