Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin's primary on Tuesday, and Donald Trump lost to Ted Cruz. And yet, David Wasserman notes at FiveThiryEight, "after tonight both Trump and Sanders need 58 percent of remaining delegates to reach a majority (in Sanders' case, this refers to pledged delegates only)." That's doable for both candidates, but Sanders has a higher hill to climb because Democrats generally split their delegates proportionally, while the Republicans have more winner-take-all states.
But the 58 percent threshold for an outright win isn't the only way Sanders and Trump face similar odds. "I'm not sure I buy this," Nate Silver cautions at FiveThirtyEight, "but given the Democrats' heavy advantage in general election polling, Sanders (at 9.6 percent) is almost as likely as Trump (11.4 percent) to become the next president, according to betting markets." It's something to think about, anyway.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How Elon Musk is transforming American governmentTalking Points Trump's ally is moving 'with lightning speed'
-
4 ways to pay down student loan debt fasterthe explainer Some of these changes may seem minuscule, but they add up over time
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top GrammysSpeed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
Trump tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China rattle marketsSpeed read The tariffs on America's top three trading partners are expected to raise the prices of everything from gas and cars to tomatoes and tequila
-
Elon Musk operatives access US payment system, aidSpeed Read The Trump administration has given Musk's team access to the Treasury payment system, allowing him to track and control government spending
-
Trump says 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico start Feb. 1Speed Read The tariffs imposed on America's neighbors could drive up US prices and invite retaliation
-
Trump blames diversity, Democrats for DC air tragedySpeed Read The president suggested that efforts to recruit more diverse air traffic controllers contributed to the deadly air crash
-
White House withdraws Trump's spending freezeSpeed Read President Donald Trump's budget office has rescinded a directive that froze trillions of dollars in federal aid and sowed bipartisan chaos
-
OpenAI announces ChatGPT Gov for government useSpeed Read The artificial intelligence research company has launched a new version of its chatbot tailored for the US government
-
Caroline Kennedy urges Senate to reject RFK Jr.Speed Read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s cousin said he should not become President Donald Trump's health secretary, calling his medical views 'dangerous'
-
GOP senator reneged on voting against HegsethSpeed Read North Carolina senator Thom Tillis provided the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
