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By Britt Nelson

Editor’s Note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff.

Kentucky handed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a very weak victory Tuesday night over Democratic rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, described by a CNN news anchor as “tighter than a Speedo on Chris Christie.”

Sanders, however, out west in Oregon beat Clinton 55 percent to 46 percent. Republican New York billionaire Donald Trump also won with 67 percent of the vote, but all the other Republican presidential candidates have dropped out.

Last time around, Clinton beat Barack Obama in Kentucky in 2008 by more than 30 points. Kentucky had been Clinton country, but no more. Her anti-coal mining comments made in March cost her the West Virginia primary and she lost big time in the Eastern and Western Kentucky coalfield communities.

With more than 420,000 votes cast in Kentucky, Clinton beat Sanders 46.8 percent to 46.3 percent leading by only about 1,800 votes. Because of the near-tie, Kentucky awarded Clinton and Sanders 27 delegates each, while Oregon gave Sanders 28 delegates to Clinton’s 24.

With a slim win in Kentucky and a loss in Oregon, Clinton did not speak publicly Tuesday night deciding instead to send out a Twitter statement on social media. “We just won Kentucky! Thanks to everyone who turned out. We’re always stronger united.”

The Democrats are anything but united. Rumors of a third-party candidacy for Sanders continue to surface.

Sanders did speak Tuesday night during a packed victory rally in Carson, California, where he learned of his Oregon victory in front of thousands of cheering supporters.

“We just won Oregon and we are going to win California,” Sanders said. “I am beginning to like the West Coast.”

On June 7 is the massive California Democratic Primary in which more than 500 delegates are awarded.

Sanders went on to say he has no plans to quit the race, as is being demanded by the Clinton campaign.

“This is, in a sense, the beginning of the final push to win California,” Sanders said. “I should tell you, that there a lot of people out there — many of the pundits and politicians — they say Bernie Sanders should drop out, the people of California should not have the right to determine who the next president will be. Well let me be as clear as I can be: I agree with you. We are in until the last ballot is cast … I say to the leadership of the Democratic Party: Open the doors and let the people in.”

With Clinton’s win so narrow a recount may be requested by the Sanders campaign, but no decision has been made as of Wednesday. We will “look at the numbers,” said Sanders’ Communication Director Michael Briggs.

A recount should be requested by the Sanders campaign. Such a recount may uncover additional votes for either Sanders or Clinton. Voting irregularities may surface during a recount that otherwise would never be found.

Meanwhile, Trump also sent out a tweet commenting on Clinton’s small win in Kentucky. He did not, as usual, mince his words.

“Do you think Crooked Hillary will finally close the deal? If she can’t win Kentucky, she should drop out of race. System rigged!” Trump wrote. “I look so forward to debating Crooked Hillary Clinton! Democrat Primaries are rigged, e-mail investigation is rigged—so time to get it on!”

What is absolutely apparent is that Clinton is losing steam in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. More than likely she will receive the necessary delegates to secure the nomination, but she will need much more support nationwide to win the presidency in November.

For the most part, Kentucky turned against Clinton and Oregon sent a clear signal of “No” to Clinton. A political fight of epic proportions is mounting within the Democratic Party, which is exactly what Clinton does not want.

Sanders’ supporters are dug in and they know Clinton cannot beat Trump without them. But they refuse to support Clinton just for the sake of Democratic Party unity. They will not give in, but they may switch political parties down the road.

Sanders is and has always been a fighter for the common working family and income equality. He is a Washington, DC, insider having held elected offices since the 1981 when he was first elected mayor of Vermont’s largest city — Burlington. Then, in 1990, Sanders won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Vermont and was later elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. Sanders is viewed as anti-establishment, just like Trump, and for some of the same reasons.

Trump is now opening the door for Sanders’ supporters to join his anti-establishment bid for President. Nationwide polls are narrowing the gap of support between Clinton and Trump down to a statistical tie, but Trump versus Sanders is showing a 12-point lead for Sanders over Trump, according to Politico, Real Clear Politics and Fox News.

Sanders may well form a third-party run for president rather than endorsing Clinton, a defeatist move his supporters would clearly see as surrendering to the giant Democratic Party machine.

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