Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) won a close primary contest over Hillary Clinton in Michigan in 2016. Four years later, he's projected to lose to Joe Biden in the same state by double digits, which has a lot of analysts now arguing his previous victory might have been more about his opponent than him.
Biden's ability to swipe Michigan from Sanders likely hinges on a few factors — exit polls show he received major support from voters over the age of 45 (who turned out at higher rates than younger voters), as well as the state's African American voters. But he also edged Sanders among white men. The totals were close, with Biden ahead by just 3 percentage points, but it's a major turnaround considering Sanders defeated Clinton by 25 points among the demographic four years ago.
That appears to give some juice to the narrative that Sanders' victory in 2016 was "largely an anti-Hillary vote," rather than a pro-Sanders one.
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Despite the Michigan loss, Clinton did go on to secure the nomination, but she ultimately lost to President Trump in the general election, and Michigan played a crucial role in that outcome. But there's some speculation that Biden turning the tide against Sanders could be a preview for what's to come in November, too. Tim O'Donnell
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