Former Obama Campaign Manager Warns Democrats Against Contested Convention Talk: Future of Party Supports Bernie Sanders

Former Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said the idea some Democrats would choose a contested convention over supporting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' potential nomination is "preposterous."

Speaking with MSNBC Saturday, Plouffe, who worked on Obama's 2008 campaign, ridiculed all discussion among Democrats that party members or opponents of Sanders should push for a brokered Democratic National Convention in July. Plouffe said Sanders' large and growing support among Latino and black voters in Nevada, in addition to his overwhelming backing from young Americans, shows his power over the future of the party.

He predicted that President Donald Trump's campaign would revel in any decision among Democratic Party leaders to contest a convention in which Sanders won the support of the most delegates. Plouffe warned Democrats that Sanders dominates among young voters and the DNC would be abandoning the future of the Democratic Party altogether by rejecting his hypothetical nomination later this year.

"I have to say about this 'contested convention' conversation we're having, in my view, it's preposterous," Plouffe told MSNBC's Brian Williams.

"If Bernie Sanders has 1,400 delegates and somebody else has close to 1,400, then I think the convention could get interesting," he said, before adding that future pledged delegates would likely switch their support to Sanders if he pulls in hundreds of delegates on Super Tuesday, March. 3.

"The other thing, [Sanders is] dominating the young vote, so the notion that we're going to say 'You got the most delegates, maybe a majority, but the party leaders have decided that the person who has gotten all that support from young voters -- the future of the party -- guess what, we're going to give it to somebody else based on electability,'" Plouffe scoffed. "And right now, there is nobody, or no evidence to say Bernie is so much more un-electable than the rest."

Plouffe said NBC News polls showing Sanders with large and growing support among Latinos and African Americans are perhaps the most promising aspect of the Nevada results for the senator's campaign.

"Bernie Sanders is showing real strength in the Latino community. If he has grown into the 30s [percentage of support] with a diverse electorate, then even if he doesn't grow anymore, he's just going to keep adding to his delegate pile every week."

Plouffe noted that candidates Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer are both spending tremendous amounts of money that could take much-needed votes away from former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign in South Carolina. He said "the two billionaires are definitely having an impact, but I don't think they're likely to be the nominee."

He suggested a few candidates should consider dropping out before Super Tuesday if they don't pick up delegates in Nevada or South Carolina.

"I think some candidates are going to have a tough decision to make though, because if you don't have the ability to get many delegates on Super Tuesday, much less after that, you have to take a hard look in the mirror about your ability to go on," Plouffe said.