With the nation more or less focused on the Chinese Virus last night, Joe Biden notched impressive wins in Arizona, Illinois and Florida, giving the elderly former vice president a perhaps insurmountable lead against the elderly socialist from Vermont:

CNN’s current delegate estimate, per @adamplevy: Joe Biden — 1,077

Bernie Sanders — 770 Biden has roughly doubled the advantage he brought into the day after sweeping AZ, FL and IL. — Eric Bradner (@ericbradner) March 18, 2020

In his victory speech, Biden did give a nod to all the Bernie Bros (and gals) out there, hoping to begin uniting the party:

Joe Biden: "Let me say especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Senator Sanders: I hear you. I know what's at stake. I know what we have to do. Our goal as a campaign and my goal as a candidate for president is to unify this party and then to unify the nation." — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 18, 2020

And here’s David Axelrod throwing ice-cold water all over team Bernie:

At this point in 2008, @BarackObama was headed of @HillaryClinton by 100 delegates. At the end of tonight, @JoeBiden’s lead will be 3X that. No Dem has ever come back from anything like this deficit.

The race for the nomination is over. That is the reality @BernieSanders faces. — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) March 18, 2020

It’s OVER:

Joe Biden will run on the most progressive platform of any Democratic nominee in history, and Bernie Sanders and the movement he inspired are a big reason why. — Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) March 18, 2020

Other libs are calling for Bernie to drop out:

After tonight, With no path to secure the nomination, @BernieSanders should drop out. We should proceed to the mission at hand, beating Trump. We don’t have time to waste. Getting beat by 10pts+ (I’m being generous) and getting swept isn’t a path to winning anything. — Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) March 17, 2020

But will he?

Dear @BernieSanders: thank you for your service. With all respect to what you achieved: Now is the time to drop out. — Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) March 18, 2020

***