Sanders’ big weekend

A WEEKEND NOT SO MUCH AT HILLARY’S: We have some elections this weekend. And it’s a slate that seems set to Bern: Washington state, Alaska and Hawaii all hold Democratic nomination contests on Saturday, and BERNIE SANDERS has a fighting chance for a sweep. All three states are holding caucuses, an activist-heavy format that Sanders has thrived on. Washington state and Alaska are also heavy on white Democrats, a core Sanders constituency, and have relatively few African Americans. Hawaii is a wild card, given a lack of polling and campaign attention.

The opportunity comes packaged with peril, however. In a race to 2,382 delegates, HILLARY CLINTON leads Sanders 1,690 to 946. (Even if Superdelegates are discounted, she’s still ahead by 303 pledged delegates.) And after getting clobbered in the Midwest and beaten in Arizona, Sanders is in danger of sliding back into irrelevance if he can’t score wins in the states that lean in his favor.


142 delegates are at stake Saturday, and Sanders needs to take a lot of them. But win or lose, Clinton or Sanders will sit with Saturday’s consequence for a while. Other than April 5’s tilt in Wisconsin, the race goes into semi-hibernation, without a major contest coming before New York’s 291-delegate scrap April 19.

*RECORD SCRATCHES TO A STOP*

BUT WAIT: Oh, yes, that other thing rocking the 2016 campaign today.

If you’re interested in that tabloid brawl, may we suggest TED CRUZ accusing DONALD TRUMP of planting a tawdry National Enquirer story about him (and also, we note, vociferously denying its allegations): http://politi.co/1pMighM

And, if it’s your sort of thing, Trump denying it — though being clear to note it’s a “cover story” here: http://politi.co/1T9Mk2c

BLAST NOTE: On the cover, yes. Enough to usurp a piece about Blake Shelton’s wandering eye for the splash? Nope. Definitely not.

Welcome to your 2016 Blast. Where we’re writing from Los Angeles, but where we’re always keeping it classy like San Diego. Henry C. Jackson (@henrycjjackson) is here to guide you through Friday’s campaign news. Send your tips, complaints and your hottest hot takes to: [email protected].

TRAIL MIX: In today’s campaign news, a tabloid brawl! TED CRUZ and DONALD TRUMP trade accusations in a brawl set off by the National Enquirer. Meanwhile, HILLARY CLINTON preps for a potentially rough weekend, BERNIE SANDERS pushes forward with a DNC lawsuit. BEN CARSON sees his gifted hands helping shape Trump’s bearing, TED CRUZ gambles on Wisconsin and JOHN KASICH sees potential providence in Pennsylvania.

THE DAILY CLINTON

STRUGGLING WITH COAL-ITION: Wall Street Journal notes that Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is aghast about HILLARY CLINTON’s comments about coal, in which she promised to put a “lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” http://on.wsj.com/22L9Bdy

PACKED HOUSE: Green Bay Press Gazette reports HILLARY CLINTON’s travel plans include a trip to Green Bay next week ahead of Wisconsin’s primary: http://gbpg.net/1RrWoRR

OFF THE DL: Philly.com reports that after making rather impolitic remarks about HILLARY CLINTON and going dark for several weeks, ESPN has allowed Hall of Fame pitcher Curt Schilling back on the air. http://bit.ly/1Mq95NM

THE PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE

BERN FOREVER: MSNBC looks at why BERNIE SANDERS is persevering with his campaign: Basically because it’s still mathematically possible to win. “Getting 58 percent of remaining pledged delegates is a tall order. And it wouldn’t get him to the nomination necessarily, since Clinton holds a huge lead among superdelegates,” but it’s still possible, his campaign argues. http://on.msnbc.com/25onUqv

ALSO STILL BERNING: BERNIE SANDERS’ lawsuit vs. the DNC over a data breach last year. New York Magazine explains the latest: http://nym.ag/1ZB4bQg

TULS OF THE CAMPAIGN: CNN reports Hawaii Rep. and veteran Tulsi Gabbard has cut a new, emotional ad for BERNIE SANDERS ahead of Saturday’s Hawaii caucuses, in which she vouches for him as a commander in chief. “I felt a sense of duty and I could not in good conscience stay back here in beautiful Hawaii and watch my brothers and sisters in uniform go off to combat," she says of her decision to enlist in the 90-second spot. http://cnn.it/21KTXwo

TRUMP ON THE STUMP

GIFTED HANDS: No longer running, BEN CARSON is quite proud of the role he’s playing in DONALD TRUMP’s campaign, a surgeon guiding a real estate mogul to act more presidential. POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney has more: http://politi.co/1q5Ylu2

POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC: Wall Street Journal reports a delegate for DONALD TRUMP from New Hampshire is currently in custody — and facing federal charges for taking part in an armed standoff alongside Cliven Bundy in 2014. http://on.wsj.com/1SbwZcw

TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

NOT SO NEW: Gawker says the allegations alighting around TED CRUZ have been around for at least a few weeks now: http://bit.ly/1RDWUiG

BLAST NOTES: OK. Yes, pull back the curtain. But now the PRINCIPLES are talking about it guys!

(GAMBLING) ON WISCONSIN: POLITICO’s Katie Glueck reports TED CRUZ has invested heavily in Wisconsin and — as has happened before — is in danger of DONALD TRUMP-denying expectations getting ahead of him there: http://politi.co/25nZ6Pm

KASICH’S CASE

DONALD DONOR: The Atlantic argues that JOHN KASICH’s continued presence in the GOP race is freezing the contest and handing it to DONALD TRUMP: http://theatln.tc/1RBovLh

PA PUSH: CNN reports JOHN KASICH is closing in on DONALD TRUMP in a new poll of the state: http://cnn.it/1WOKqTG

SURVEYING THE 2016 LANDSCAPE

SHARPENED LANGUAGE: BuzzFeed catches LINDSEY GRAHAM going harder at DONALD TRUMP than before, calling him a “demagogue” who uses “racist dog whistles.” http://bzfd.it/1pMLH3w

ALL ABOUT THE LOVE: POLITICO’s Theodoric Meyer reports the Utah Republican party is sufficiently worried about the effect DONALD TRUMP will have on swing-district congresswoman Mia Love that it’s making plans now to fortify her position: http://politi.co/1UM4iZF

PORTENTOUS, IF TRUE: This really is a big day, if this is to be believed: http://bit.ly/1gD53xE

THE DAILY NUMBER

30. That’s the percentage of Republicans, per Gallup, who believe the election process is working as it should. That’s down from 46 percent earlier this year. Wonder what changed their minds? http://politi.co/1RkED8b

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