Political experts say contested DNC no longer likely following Biden, Sanders' performance

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Political experts say it's difficult for them to predict what will happen when Wisconsin voters head to the polls on April 7 because the Democratic presidential primary race is changing weekly and even daily.

Former Vice President Joe Biden's performance saw a stunning turnaround in a matter of weeks.

"The sequence of events was so unusual and so unpredictable that here we are in a whole new race," said UW-Milwaukee professor emeritus Mordecai Lee.

If Biden continues to win big the way he did Tuesday night and on Super Tuesday, there are questions about whether Sen. Bernie Sanders can make it to Wisconsin's primary four weeks away. 

"Even though Biden looks like he's got it wrapped up, Sen. Sanders would be right to compete in Wisconsin because politics is just so uncertain," Lee said.

Biden's stunning performance in recent weeks now has political experts looking to an event farther down the horizon, the Democratic National Convention in July.

"It looks far less likely that no one commands a majority by the time we get to the convention," said Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll.  

With pressure from the party to wrap up the race, both Franklin and Lee agree a deadlock or contested convention is no longer probable the way they thought it was just a few weeks ago.

Sanders easily defeated Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin's primary in 2016, and he ended up staying in the race well into the summer.

"Both 2008 and 2016 extended the primary season all the way into June. That doesn't look like that's going to happen this time," Franklin said.