Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hiromichi]

"lose" in the first sentence should be "win"?

Still, it’s too soon to say that Iowa is Sanders’s to lose. The biggest reason: Caucusgoers could unite behind a “Stop Sanders” candidate, especially if their preferred candidates don’t qualify for delegates under caucus rules.
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Hiromichi

[lotus]

It is Sander's (nomination) to lose because he is considered the front-runner or the favored to win. It means that if he doesn't make any mistakes, he would win.
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War does not make one great --Yoda

[hiromichi]

lotus:
Thank you.
"Sander's caucus to lose "equals" Sanders lose" ?
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Hiromichi

[lotus]

The Iowa caucus is the first nomination event for the Democratic Party presidential nominee. Sanders is one of several contenders.

He is considered a front-runner (favored). The author says it's his to "lose', meaning he was already ahead (he's already winning). Therefore, if he makes no mistakes, he would win. If he makes mistakes, he may lose. By mistakes, we mean how he convinces the caucus that he is the best candidate.

Where do you get these sentences? Or, were they created by you?
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War does not make one great --Yoda

[hiromichi]

The source: On Politics: Our New Morning Tip Sheet.NYTimes Jan.27.
Let me quote below as I am a paid subscriber of NYT.
Still I cannot understand why an expression " Sanders's to win" is not used.

Where things stand in the race
•The Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses are next Monday night and the outcome is impossible to predict, but this much is clear: Bernie Sanders is sounding confident of victory, and his poll numbers and organizational muscle give him reason to hope.
•Sanders drew more than a thousand people to his rally in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday night, and he said something that we had never heard him say as a candidate in 2016. Referring to big-money interest groups, he said, “They’re looking at recent polls in New Hampshire and Iowa and saying, ‘Oh my god, Sanders can win.’”
•Hyperbole, maybe. But think about it: Sanders never had more than a long-shot chance of winning the 2016 nomination, but since then he has heavily influenced the party’s move to the left. And this weekend he found himself leading in a New York Times/Siena College poll of Iowans, and tied with Joe Biden in an Iowa poll from CBS News and YouGov. He was also ahead in two New Hampshire polls published on Sunday.
•Still, it’s too soon to say that Iowa is Sanders’s to lose. The biggest reason: Caucusgoers could unite behind a “Stop Sanders” candidate, especially if their preferred candidates don’t qualify for delegates under caucus rules.
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Hiromichi

[lotus]

Yes, the nomination is Sander's to win. He is ahead in the polls. That is already known.

When someone is clearly in the lead, he would have to stumble to lose -- just like in a real track and field race. He would have to make a mistake. It would be his to lose. We stress the losing part because it would be a surprise if he did lose. It is in fact a hyperbole. Nobody expects him to lose. The way we say that is that it is easy for him to win, and it would take effort (an unintentional blunder) for him to lose. Again, it would be his to lose because he is already winning.
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War does not make one great --Yoda

[hiromichi]

lotus,
Finally I got you. Thank you very much for your patience in answering my questions.
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Hiromichi