News Analysis: A strong Sanders heads into Wisconsin primary against Clinton

U.S. Democratic Party contender Senator Bernie Sanders is heading into the Wisconsin primary contest Tuesday with a number of factors in his favor, and analysts expect him to give party front-runner Hillary Clinton a run for her money.

Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist, has continued to hang in there, defying early predictions that rival Clinton would be a shoo-in for the nomination and steamroll over the Vermont senator. While Clinton is still expected to clinch the nomination, Sanders continues to put up a fight, having recently won landslide victories in the states of Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

Some polls put Sanders in the lead in Wisconsin, as the firebrand outsider continues to gain support and continues to put up a fight against Clinton.

Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, told Xinhua that Sanders has a good shot at winning Wisconsin.

"There are many college aged, university educated citizens. Also the state has an old progressive tradition. Independent voters will also play a big role, where he does well," he said.

Analysts said Sanders has been adept at focusing on income inequality and arguing that the political system is rigged against the middle class, and his supporters appreciate Sanders' clear message and emphasis on ways to help the middle class regain prosperity and have a fairer shot.

Moreover, he has shown much energy and an ability to connect with progressive elements within the Democratic Party, at a time when a split in the party is emerging between those supporting the establishment and those who aim for a more left leaning party.

Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua that one reason for Sanders' popularity in Wisconsin is that Democrats there have a long tradition of progressivism.

"Many of them like the idea of a fire-breathing outsider seeking to disrupt the political status quo," he said.

"At a time where the Wall Street financial collapse still lingers, Sanders has found a lot of support for his message on income inequality and the need to help the middle class," he said, referring to the 2008 economic downturn that still impacts millions of Americans today.

"He is running very close to Clinton in Wisconsin and certainly will do well. Whether he gains a majority or something just short of a majority, Sanders will do well enough to continue his campaign and make things difficult for Clinton," West said.

While Sanders has been a senator for years, supporters consider him to be a political outsider, which has benefited him greatly at a time when public approval of U.S. Congress is at an all time low.

Sanders appeals especially to millennials, many of whom are feeling the sting of a weak economy, even seven years after the 2008 downturn that sent the U.S. economy reeling and had ripple effects worldwide.

Indeed, many recent university graduates have seen the American dream fall through their fingers like sand, being unable to find full-time work in their fields and are strapped with massive student loans -- an average of 35,000 U.S. dollars per person -- at a time when university tuition has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.

The statistics are stunning, and recent U.S. census data shows that 40 percent of unemployed Americans are millennials, meaning that 4.6 million people in that age group are jobless.

Many have been forced to move back home with their parents, a sign of defeat in a culture that values independence and where young people are expected to make their own way after university.

Sanders' critics, however, take issue with his socialist policies, arguing that socialism has never worked in any country worldwide. While Sanders often touts Scandinavian countries as examples of workable socialism, critics note that those countries in recent years have actually made moves to get away from socialist policies and to lower taxes. Endit