Democrats emphatically want Bernie Sanders chosen as their Democratic nominee if Hillary Clinton is forced to leave the presidential race, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll. While pundits had previously been suggesting that in such an event, Vice President Biden could be seamlessly slipped in as the heir to the Democratic throne, it turns out more than twice as many likely Democratic voters would want Senator Sanders over Joe Biden to replace Hillary.

When polled, 48 percent of likely Democratic voters said they would want Bernie Sanders to replace Hillary Clinton if she had to leave the race, according to the poll released Friday. Many articles are reporting this figure, which is impressive enough to many of Sanders’ supporters, but with perspective, the figure is even more remarkable to Sanders’ supporters.

More likely-Democratic voters would want the DNC to choose Sanders than all other options combined!

Only 22 percent of those polled chose Joe Biden. Even fewer chose Clinton’s VP pick Tim Kaine. Only nine percent said they would want the Democrats to pick Kaine in that scenario. Meanwhile, a mere nine percent of those polled would want the dems to pick someone else entirely. That means that if you combined votes for everyone else, Bernie Sanders would still be the Democratic voters’ top choice to fill Clinton’s spot on the ballots this November if she were forced out.

The poll asked likely Democratic voters the following question.

“If Hillary Clinton were forced to step down because of her health, who should take her place as the Democratic presidential nominee—Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Tim Kaine, or someone else?”

DNC Member Email: ‘Sanders Stayed In The Contest’ In Case Clinton Is Forced Out Of General Election https://t.co/fsawS8haOj #BringBernieBack — #BernieNOTBiden (@babushka_tasi) September 12, 2016

An article from The Hill on the new poll is “berning” up social media, as former and current Berniecrats rejoice in the news that the truth about Bernie’s popularity is finally showing up in the mainstream media.

Blacks and minorities are reportedly now stronger supporters of Sanders than whites. Sanders even wins among all likely voters when party affiliation is dropped as a factor.

Just after Hillary Clinton’s fainting spell earlier this week, a tweet from David Schuster reinvigorated Sanders’ supporters, many of whom had been crossing their fingers that Clinton could be forced out of the race over legal issues.

Clarification from dem operatives @HillaryClinton pneumonia: Expect emergency DNC meeting to CONSIDER replacement. #HillarysHealth — David Shuster (@DavidShuster) September 11, 2016

The hashtags #BringBackBernie and #BringBernieBack have surged since Clinton’s health episode during the 9/11 memorial event, as the Inquisitr previously reported. Here’s a small sampling of the tweets from Americans demanding that Bernie return to the presidential race.

RT: Sign the Petition! Clinton Should Concede the Nomination to Bernie Sanders https://t.co/IW8lZKg0rs #BringBernieBack #NeverHillary — SupaScoopa (@SupaScoopa_) September 12, 2016

Nevertheless, it appears as though Clinton’s health has made a comeback and Snopes has declared the rumor of an emergency meeting to replace Clinton due to her health scare “false.” Politico reported that former DNC leader Don Fowler, who has backed Hillary Clinton since her 2008 presidential campaign, said that the Democrats would be unwise not to come up with a fallback plan.

“It’s something you would be a fool not to prepare for.”

DNC members: Since Sunday there have been calls, emails, meetings + discussions. Process clear now to most IF @HillaryClinton withdraws. — David Shuster (@DavidShuster) September 14, 2016

Ultimately, the DNC can not replace Clinton, unless she removes herself, but that’s not stopping progressive Democrats and progressive Independents from holding onto the hope that Hillary will eventually drop out and be replaced on the Democratic ticket with Bernie Sanders. There are still petitioners imploring that Clinton drop out of the race to make room for Senator Sanders.

I am pretty sure the clock just struck midnight on this fairytale. Time to #DropOutHillary & #BringBernieBack https://t.co/bwaMN2lA2B — Bad Brown Sanders (@bad_bad_bernie) September 11, 2016

Bernie Sanders is campaigning Saturday for Hillary Clinton in Ohio, in hopes of inspiring millennials, after Donna Brazile, interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, asked Sanders to “help the party with voter registration, early voting and get-out-the-vote efforts,” USA Today reported.

Saturday, Sanders will hold three events for Hillary in one day, while Hillary is scheduled for just one.

[Featured Image by Benjamin Kerensa | Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and resized | CC BY-SA 2.0]