Bernie Sanders is outlining a long-term campaign strategy that looks beyond the nation's first nominating contest, claiming that it's not a "tragedy" if he loses in Iowa, where residents will soon gather to caucus for their chosen Democratic presidential candidate.

"If I lose Iowa by two votes and end up with virtually the same number of delegates, is that a must-lose situation?" Sanders said in an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday. "Is that a tragedy? No."

He added, "We are running a campaign that will take us to the convention and I'm very proud of the kinds of enormous gains we have made."

When pressed if he believed that he must win Iowa to secure the Democratic nomination, Sanders said, "That's mythology."

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With less than a week before the caucuses on Feb. 1, Sanders is still battling closely with rival Hillary Clinton in the state. A new Quinnipiac poll released Thursday shows the Vermont senator leading by just four points: Forty-nine percent to Clinton's 45 percent of support.

His strength in Iowa rests with millennials. According to the survey, voters age 18 to 44 strongly prefer him to Clinton, 78 to 21 percent -- but it's the challenge of translating that support to voter turnout that will eventually decide the caucus results.

Looking ahead to the general election, Sanders' wide-ranging interview with the AP also touched on the possibility of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg entering the 2016 race.

He pointed out that if Bloomberg were to mount an independent challenge to Sanders and current GOP front-runner Donald Trump, "two of the three candidates would be multi-billionaires."

"And by the way," Sanders joked. "I'm the one who is not the multi-billionaire."

The Vermont senator is expected to meet with President Obama at the White House on Wednesday. A statement by the administration said Tuesday that "there will be no formal agenda" for the meeting.