For Sanders next week — but behind Biden in the fall if he wins 

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FRIDAY, March 6 — Bernie Sanders supporters at the Fledge last night were excited to fight for their candidate — but most said that they would vote for Joe Biden if they had to.  

The Grassroots, a makeshift campaign office and canvassing center, opened in the basement of the Fledge last night. Around 80 people showed up for its inaugural night. Sanders supporters — from diehard canvassers to recent converts — heard prepared speeches and impromptu testimonials on the ground floor while phone bankers made calls in the basement.  

Connor Meston, a Lansing resident and MSU student, said that he wishes the U.S. would implement ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting would have given Sanders more of a chance, he said.  

“I’ll vote for Biden if he gets the nomination,” Meston said. I’m not certain that some of my colleagues will, though. And I’m not sure I could convince them to.”  

Sanders supporters said the turnaround in Biden’s fortunes in the last two weeks that has catapulted him into a small delegate lead is only making them fighter harder  

Wendy Dougherty, from Okemos, cited his support for ambitious programs like Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and tuition-free college as good reasons for supporting Bernie.  Her main concern is getting money out of local and national politics.  She said, "Biden would mean status quo, and we have to do so much more. The time is now."

Still, Dougherty said she will do the right thing for this country when it comes to voting in the general election. But she added, “I really feel like I will be done with the Democratic Party if they screw Bernie. 

Though Sanders won in Michigan in 2016, he is projected to lose in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. According to New York Times analysis, Sanders does not have the same momentum with the white working class that he did four years ago. After a disappointing Super Tuesday for the Sanders campaign, the results in Michigan and elsewhere in the Midwest could cement Bernie as the frontrunner or kill his chances entirely.  

According to FiveThirtyEight, Biden is leading in the polls in Michigan, 32.9% to 26.6% for Sanders, as of Thursday. No other candidates reach the 15 percent threshold necessary to capture delegates. U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii is the only other candidate still on the Democratic ballot.  

Jerry Norris, founder of the Fledge, said, “From a Fledge perspective, our mission is to create opportunities to pursue happiness. But when people are thinking about their next meal or losing their house because they get a flat tire and can’t afford rent, there’s no way we can be happy.” 

That was a common sentiment throughout the night.  

When field organizer Spencer Reed asked the crowd to raise their hands and explain why they were voting for Sanders, nearly all the answers concerned matters of life and death 

Audience members bemoaned the lack of a safety net. Most mentioned Sanders’ Medicare For All plan.  

Oscar Baker, 75, of St. John’s, told a story about his son. While working a six-figure tech job, his son received a promotion. His insurance lapsed for three months due to some bureaucratic technicality, and he died after refusing to get help while uninsured.  

Baker asked people in the crowd to raise their hands if they like their private insurance company. Their hands stayed down, but everyone burst into laughter.  

“Isn’t that a stupid thing to ask?” Baker laughed. “That’s the kind of stuff Joe Biden says.” 

He continued, “I just don’t understand. We can do it cheaper. Canada does it for four times cheaper.” 

Headed into the Michigan primary, the ideological distinctions between the two remaining frontrunners are clear.  

While Sanders supporters are willing to fight hard for their candidate, they also understand the necessity of getting President Trump out of office.  

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