Joe Rogan Endorses Bernie; Sanders’ Odds to Win Nomination Improve Even More
- Bernie Sanders received an endorsement from comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan
- At the same time, the odds of Sanders winning the 2020 Democratic nomination improved from +228 to +223
- He remains a close second-favorite behind Joe Biden (+191)
Has Bernie Sanders benefitted from the Joe Rogan bump?
Rogan, a controversial comedian, podcast host and UFC commentator, recently endorsed Sanders for President. Shortly after Rogan’s endorsement, Sanders saw his average odds to win the Democratic Presidential nomination improve. He went from +228 to +223 across the leading sportsbooks. His odds were as long as +425 five weeks ago.
Oddsmakers list Sanders at odds of +225 to win the Democratic nod.
2020 Democratic Presidential Nomination Odds
| Candidate | Odds |
|---|---|
| Joe Biden | +220 |
| Bernie Sanders | +225 |
| Elizabeth Warren | +600 |
| Michael Bloomberg | +700 |
| Pete Buttigieg | +1000 |
| Andrew Yang | +1600 |
| Hillary Clinton | +2000 |
| Amy Klobuchar | +3300 |
| Michelle Obama | +5000 |
| Tulsi Gabbard | +10000 |
| Tom Steyer | +12500 |
Odds taken January 24th.
Sanders continues to be the second-favorite choice. Joe Biden remains the favorite in the 2020 democratic nomination odds at average odds of +191.
Rogan Endorses Sanders
On a recent episode of his podcast, Rogan welcomed New York Times writer Bari Weiss to his show. During the broadcast, Rogan gave his support to Sanders.
“I think I'll probably vote for Bernie… He’s been insanely consistent his entire life. He’s basically been saying the same thing, been for the same thing his whole life. And that in and of itself is a very powerful structure to operate from.” -Joe Rogan pic.twitter.com/fuQP0KwGGI
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 23, 2020
The comedian noted that he would probably vote for Sanders in the Democratic primaries. Rogan cited the long-term consistency of the message that Sanders delivers. He noted that Sanders has maintained the same message for his entire life.
Is This Good For Sanders?
On the surface, yes it is. The bump in his numbers indicates this to be so.
Rogan is one of the most powerful figures in the media today. His podcast is the second-most downloaded on iTunes. His broad base of support stems from those who remember him from his time on the TV sitcom News Radio, through his days as host of Fear Factor, to his current status as an MMA maven.
If you're outraged that Sanders accepted an endorsement from Joe Rogan, who has massive reach with actual centrist/apolitical young people, you're part of why the left loses.
We need to accept everyone who is open to a leftist message, no matter their past or how they got there.
— Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) January 24, 2020
At the same time, he’s a controversial figure. He’s welcomed InfoWars host and conspiracy theorist promoter Alex Jones as a guest on his show. Rogan is viewed by some as a racist and a bigot.
Several prominent progressives took to social media to criticize Sanders for not publicly refusing the endorsement from Rogan.
The Rogan endorsement is so plainly two-sided for the Sanders camp, because it’s an indisputable electability flex, but embracing it is also the kind of pragmatic realpolitik that Sanders supporters have always been more comfortable attacking other Democrats for practicing.
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) January 24, 2020
Others went in the opposite direction, noting that the reason why the Democrats so often lose on the national stage is their steadfast refusal to welcome everyone into their tent.
Sanders Surging At Right Time
Primary season begins Monday as Iowans caucus, and Bernie is boosting at the precise time he wants to surge. Sanders has been moving forward in the Democratic race for some time now. He appears to have won the support of progressive voters away from the fading campaign of Elizabeth Warren.
Two new polls out this morning, both showing gains for Bernie Sanders… pic.twitter.com/nUdNGQyyfI
— Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) January 22, 2020
A CNN poll shows Sanders at 27-percent nationally. Only Biden, in the high 20s, remains ahead of him. No other candidate is drawing more than 15-percent support.
In Iowa, Sanders and Biden are running neck and neck in the polls. Sanders made a five-percent jump over the past month. He and Biden both are polling around 20-percent.
Bernie Is Well-Positioned
Polls show that Sanders does better than any other candidate among non-white voters. If he does well in the first two primaries in primarily white Iowa and New Hampshire, he’ll be well-positioned as the race moves to more diverse states.
Among Hispanic College Students:
Sanders 50%
Warren 18%
Yang 9%
Biden 6%
Buttigieg 3%Among Black College Students:
Sanders 49%
Warren 16%
Yang 12%
Biden 12%
Buttigieg 2% https://t.co/buIKHiZ7Lx— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) January 24, 2020
Sanders also polls well with young voters. They’re the people who watch UFC and listen to Rogan. He’s raised $35 million over the last quarter, more than any other Democrat.
Biden remains the candidate to beat. But Sanders is showing he might have the support to beat him.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
