The Note: Why 2020 may not end like 2016 for Democrats

The next move in the Democratic race belongs to Sen. Bernie Sanders, alone.

ByRick Klein and MaryAlice Parks
March 11, 2020, 6:00 AM

The TAKE with Rick Klein

The end is in sight for the Democratic primary campaign.

The next move in this race belongs to Sen. Bernie Sanders, and him alone. But it's looking like a quieter close all around -- and not just because public rallies are off for a while and Sanders chose not to speak Tuesday night.

A range of factors are pointing toward a cleaner and earlier exit by Sanders than anything the party witnessed in 2016.

PHOTO: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders greets supporters outside of a polling station in Dearborn Heights, Mich., March 10, 2020.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders greets supporters outside of a polling station in Dearborn Heights, Mich., March 10, 2020.
Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Start with President Donald Trump, and the urgency felt by Democrats in matching up against him. Former Vice President Joe Biden's victory was a statement about his strengths in that area -- and it matters that Biden is flat-out beating Sanders head-to-head, among voters across demographic and geographic groups.

Then there's this moment around the new coronavirus. The issue on everyone's minds these days was a factor for voters, as Biden's exit-poll edge over Sanders in trust to handle a crisis made clear.

Perhaps the biggest factor, though, is personal. Sanders and Hillary Clinton simply disliked each other.

PHOTO: Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to members of the press at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, March 10, 2020.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to members of the press at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, March 10, 2020.
Matt Rourke/AP

The Biden-Sanders relationship is different, though. They respect each other; as Biden's gracious and subdued speech Tuesday night made clear, they need each other for the shared goal of defeating Trump.

There could still be a debate this weekend, and some attacks, and more than some online heat. But things are winding down in the Democratic race -- and it may be that both candidates still standing are alright with that.

The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks

Less than two weeks ago there were serious conversations in the Democratic Party about how to handle the possibility of a contested convention.

This week, that is a near mathematical impossibility.

A shorter primary means a longer general election -- and make no mistake -- progressive organizations and organizers continue to be worried behind the scenes about the former vice president’s ability to sustain his winning streak through November.

PHOTO: Election workers wear protective face masks as they check voters to get their to vote in the Michigan primary election at Central United Methodist Church in Detroit, March 10, 2020.
Election workers wear protective face masks as they check voters to get their to vote in the Michigan primary election at Central United Methodist Church in Detroit, March 10, 2020.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images

They point to the attacks Trump has already lobbed against Biden -- mocking his stumbles on the stump -- and argue seven more months of that sort of rhetoric could do serious damage to voters' confidence. Let alone all the other topics the president could raise -- as he has done before -- from Biden’s family to his record on trade.

Of course, a long general campaign swings both ways and every move the president makes in handling this current health care crisis is being viewed by voters differently in an election year too.

PHOTO: Precinct worker Cliff Smith offers people an "I Voted" sticker as they exit after voting in the party presidential primary in Ridgeland, Miss., March 10, 2020.
Precinct worker Cliff Smith offers people an "I Voted" sticker as they exit after voting in the party presidential primary in Ridgeland, Miss., March 10, 2020.
Rogelio V. Solis/AP

As such, it is likely that Sanders is taking incoming advice of all stripes now. Some people close to him are likely arguing that all of Biden's vulnerabilities should be litigated and discussed as a part of an ongoing process as more states vote, while others are looking at the map and math ahead and warning him that any blows he lands against Biden could bruise.

The TIP with Kendall Karson

Michigan wasn't just a critical win for Biden, or the biggest delegate prize of the night, it was the first diverse, 2020 battleground in the Midwest to weigh in on the nominating contest.

The former vice president didn't just win statewide, further cementing his case of electability over Sanders, but he also claimed the backing of all 12 of Michigan's pivot counties Tuesday night, which previously voted for both Trump and President Barack Obama.

PHOTO: People vote in the Michigan primary election at Chrysler Elementary School in Detroit, March 10, 2020.
People vote in the Michigan primary election at Chrysler Elementary School in Detroit, March 10, 2020.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images

With wins in Bay, Calhoun, Eaton, Gogebic, Isabella, Lake, Macomb, Manistee, Monroe, Saginaw, Shiawassee and Van Buren counties, Biden gave an early preview of Democrats' electability fortunes in some areas of the country that could potentially decide November's general election.

Next Tuesday brings another round of primaries, and this time, the battlefield runs through three swing states Florida, Arizona and Ohio, plus Illinois, giving Biden another glimpse of his strength across more key regions ahead of the competitive race to come.

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Wednesday morning's episode features a wrap-up of Tuesday night's Democratic primary results with ABC News' Adam Kelsey. Then, we hear from Michelle Rollefson, who finds herself out of work due to novel coronavirus. And, ABC News Foreign Correspondent James Longman tells us about the state of the travel industry and he begins a quarantine period after returning from Italy. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

ABC News' "Powerhouse Politics" podcast. ABC News Political Director Rick Klein and Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl unpack the state of the race following Tuesday's Democratic primaries in Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington. https://apple.co/2RgxmLL

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., appears on NBCs "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" at 11:35 p.m.

  • President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence meet with bankers on the COVID-19 response at the White House at 3 p.m. Later, the President and first lady Melania Trump have dinner with Pence and second lady Karen Pence at the U.S. Naval Observatory at 7 p.m.

  • Pence delivers remarks to the National League of Cities board of directors meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at 11:15 a.m. He then leads a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting at the White House at 4 p.m.

  • The White House Coronavirus Task Force holds a press briefing in the White House at 5:30 p.m.

    • Download the ABC News app and select "The Note" as an item of interest to receive the day's sharpest political analysis every weekday.

    The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back tomorrow for the latest.

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