In a survey of party leaders, the New York Times has found strong opposition to Bernie Sanders if he doesn’t win the majority of delegates needed to secure the nomination. The Times interviewed 93 party officials who are also superdelegates. The Times reports:

“Dozens of interviews with Democratic establishment leaders this week show that they are not just worried about Mr. Sanders’s candidacy, but are also willing to risk intraparty damage to stop his nomination at the national convention in July if they get the chance.

“Such a situation may result in a brokered convention, a messy political battle the likes of which Democrats have not seen since 1952, when the nominee was Adlai Stevenson.“

The party leaders worry that Sanders will not only lose to Donald Trump but “drag down moderate House and Senate candidates in swing states with his left-wing agenda of “Medicare for all” and free four-year public college.“

Senator Sanders insists that won’t happen. In fact, they say, the opposite is true; a Bernie Sanders nomination would energize young and working class voters. The Times points out that hasn’t happened yet in this early primary season.