Despite Bernie Sanders leading the polls early on, Joe Bidensurged ahead in the primaries on Super Tuesday. He won nine states, while Sanders took California. Who will clinch the nomination is still unclear. However, one thing has been confirmed: The Democratic infighting is severe. The US no longer has one Democratic Party. It now has two wings that are completely different. The moderates are the traditional democrats, who carry the conventional Democratic line of thought. Biden, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg fall into this category. The other branch represents the progressives — those who want a drastic change in the current economic and social system. Sanders and Elizabeth Warren belong to this branch. Everyone was expecting Sanders to score a major win on Super Tuesday. However, Klobuchar and Buttigieg left the presidential campaign and endorsed Biden. Sanders, who is seen as an intruder to the Democratic establishment, was not able to persuade the moderate candidates who dropped out of the race to endorse him. There is a struggle occurring between the progressive new wave, which is spreading among Democratic voters, and the established Democratic thinking and policy lines. If this rift persists beyond the nomination, Donald Trump will be the ultimate winner. Sanders brought new ideas and a new narrative that were very well-received in a country where social differences are growing by the day. Biden does not have a new outlook; his is more of a continuation of Barack Obama’s. Nevertheless, he focuses on the party’s unity — and the country’s unity. His narrative is to bring the US back to pre-Trump normalcy and to heal thedivisionsin American society that have been brought about by the Trump presidency. Biden also represents a more pragmatic approach; hence his ability to cut a deal with his former competitors. Sanders, who is more of an idealist, was not able to cut a similar deal with his fellow progressive candidate, Warren. If Warren had exited the race and endorsed Sanders — like Buttigieg and Klobuchar did for Biden — the result could have been different. Nevertheless, the results of Super Tuesday do not tell us for sure who will win the nomination. There is always a chance of a turnaround if Warren, following her poor performance on Tuesday, drops out of the race and endorses Sanders. Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor, recently said: “We’re all sort of struggling to understand the Bernie Sanders phenomenon.” He is indeed a phenomenon. The Vermont senator is an intruder to the Democratic Party in the same way Trump is an intruder to the Republican Party. If Sanders wins the nomination and, in November, wins the presidency, he would have the chance to change the face of his party the same way Trump has changed the face of the Republicans. The Grand Old Party is now Trump’s party, with the traditional Republican Party gone. The only one who still adheres to the now-defunct party is Mitt Romney. He is considered a maverick by his peers, especially regarding the Ukraine issue, over which he took a stand against Trump. We have seen the establishment, and the moderates it represents, coalescing around Biden, driven by the instinct of self-preservation. There is always the question of who is more likely to beat Trump? In a recent poll by YouGov, 65 percent of Democratic voters said they would vote for the candidate who is more likely to beat Trump in November. For many of these, Bidenseems like a safer bet. The so-called stigma of socialism associated with Sanders casts a doubt on his electability among many Democratic voters. There is a struggle occurring between the progressive new wave and the established Democratic thinking. Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib There is a fear that a radical figure like Sanders, who is calling for drastic change, might scare away some voters, who will simply not vote on election day, delivering an easy win for Trump. On the other hand, the progressives who are energized by Sanders might not be enticed enough by Biden to vote in November. For them, Sanders is their only and last chance for a change toward social equity. Biden and Sanders represent two totally different approaches. While Sanders, similarly to Trump, is anti-establishment, Biden wants to put the American establishment back on track, hence the endorsements from powerful congressional figures. Sanders represents change and a clean break from traditional Democratic policies, while Biden represents continuity and stability. However, the differences between the two camps are irreconcilable and, no matter who clinches the nomination of the Democratic Party, the rift will be reflected in the turnout come November. Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She holds a PhD in politics from the University of Exeter and is an affiliated scholar with the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News" point-of-view