It doesn't really matter whether Bernie Sanders drops out now [View all]

or next week. Joe Biden's path to the nomination is now clear, and Bernie's path has taken a U-turn.

The question is whether Senator Sanders needs additional humiliating losses before deciding it's over. Next Tuesday Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio will hold their primaries. Florida, the state with the most delegates among those states, is clearly Biden territory, and Sanders will do poorly in that state. Sanders might win Arizona, but will probably lose both Illinois and Ohio, based on yesterday's Michigan results.

So, If Sanders doesn't withdraw this week, he'll get additional reasons to do so next week.

Meanwhile, the March 15 debate will be held without an audience, and both Biden and Sanders have cancelled rallies over COVID-19 concerns.

For all intents and purposes, the personalized campaign primary season is over, courtesy of the novel coronavirus outbreak or pandemic. The realistic view says that the current status of candidate voter preferences will become static, really. Primaries held after March 17 will most likely show similar results to the March 10 and March 17 votes.

Bernie Sanders' chance at the nomination is now virtually nil. So, withdraw and suspend his campaign or not, the die is now cast.

As Joe Biden said yesterday evening, congratulations to Sanders and his supporters for their energy. Now it is time to turn everyone's energy toward defeating Donald J. Trump in November.