The race for the Democratic nomination made a significant inflection in South Carolina on Saturday, February 29. Former Vice President Joe Biden not only won an indispensable victory after a catastrophic start, but he has also indeed widened so far from his rivals that he can hope to regain his rank before the first votes: that of favorite.
Counting on The African American Community
Everything in South Carolina Was going well from the start. Joe Biden had announced in advance. He was counting on the African American community, the majority in this southern state, to reverse the trend. According to the results of exit polls, the support of House of Representatives number three Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina figure, was instrumental. Invariably in the lead in voting intentions, the former vice president, however, widened a gap that no one had expected.
Favorable situation before Super Tuesday
With more than 48% of the vote, the former vice-president crushed independent senator Bernie Sanders, who came in second with only 20% of the vote. The billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, despite an investment of more than 13 million dollars, arrived in the third position (11.4%), however under the bar of 15%, allowing to claim to a part of the delegates put on Thu. Three other candidates present during the last debate, on February 25, were even further behind.
The scale of the Victory
The scale of the Victory, the first in a primary of a lengthy career punctuated by two unsuccessful nomination contestants, in 1988 and 2008, transfigured Joe Biden. Laborious during the debates, always quick to blunders or slips, the former vice president for once knew how to find the words to mobilize his troops, presenting himself as ” a democrat of always, a proud Democrat, a democrat Obama-Biden. ” A clear allusion to the independent senator from Vermont, and the billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a former Republican, who did not appear on the ballots of South Carolina. “Most Americans do not want the promise of a revolution, “announced by the senator, “they want results in their daily lives, he added.
Super Tuesday
This jump puts the former vice-president in a favorable situation before the “super-Tuesday” (Super Tuesday), during which fourteen states will vote. He can hope to receive help from the African American vote where it will be significant, like Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, or Virginia.
Tom Steyer gave up on Saturday night
Joe Biden can then bet on a useful vote, a grouping for his benefit of moderate voters, fragmented so far between five candidates. Acknowledging his failure, billionaire Tom Steyer also gave up on Saturday night.
Senator Amy Klobuchar
The situation is now critical for Senator Amy Klobuchar, who won only 3% of the vote on Saturday and whose state of the election, Minnesota, will vote on Tuesday. It is almost as much so for the former mayor of South Bend (Indiana) Pete Buttigieg, unable to seduce the African American electorate (8% of the votes). More to the left, Elizabeth Warren (7% of the vote) can also question the meaning of her candidacy. She is not even sure that she can win in her state, Massachusetts, also on Tuesday.
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg. After already spending half a billion dollars, an unprecedented sum, the former mayor of New York could not do notice that the billionaire Tom Steyer’s excess spending strategy was not successful. Entering the race late to favor more moderate ideas than those defended by Bernie Sanders, Michael Bloomberg risks paradoxically supporting the designs of the latter by cannibalizing a vote hoped for by Joe Biden.
Senator Sanders still the favorite
For now, the senator from Vermont is still the favorite in the nomination contest. He quickly took note of his defeat on Saturday by planning for Super Tuesday, which could be favorable for him in the two largest states: California, where he has a substantial lead in voting intentions, and Texas. Unlike the former vice president, Bernie Sanders has no cash flow problem thanks to his loyal army of small donors. He can also rely on a reliable organization, forged four years ago, during his first candidacy, while that of Joe Biden attracted many critics.
The results of South Carolina
The South Carolina Primary results will now be contemplated by the Democratic candidates who came far behind the former vice president. Chance is that everyone will meet Sunday in Selma, Alabama, except for Bernie Sanders, to commemorate the fifty-five years of the severely repressed marches for civil rights.