Biden’s South Carolina Victory Raises Super Tuesday Stakes

Former Vice President Joe Biden won a surprise victory in last weekend’s South Carolina Democratic primary, and it’s going to make Super Tuesday’s round of primaries a lot more interesting.

Senator Bernie Sanders seemed like a clear favorite coming into the week but, after Biden’s victory, some experts speculate that the centrist side of the Democrat party could start to throw its weight around. Many moderate Democrats are becoming anxious over the possibility of a Sanders’ presidency. There was some speculation that former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg could unite the moderate vote, but after back-to-back weak debate performances from Bloomberg, it seems like Biden is starting to pull ahead as the centrist favorite.

Another Billionaire candidate Tom Steyer, also a moderate, dropped out of the race last week. News broke over the weekend that former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg was also calling off his campaign. With two fewer moderate candidates, Biden has a better chance of getting delegates on Super Tuesday.

Up until now, the centrist vote has been divided between a crowded field of moderate candidates, including Biden, Steyer, Buttigieg, and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. However, Steyer and Buttigieg are gone as of last week, and Klobuchar’s long-shot campaign could call it quits any day. The field has mostly narrowed down to two candidates, Biden and Sanders. However, Tuesday will be Bloomberg’s first day on the ballot, so it will be our first chance to see how voters are responding to the former NYC mayor’s spending blitz.

The battle lines are drawn for Super Tuesday. On one side stands Biden, the former Obama-era V.P. who seems to have pulled ahead as the favored moderate candidate in the race. On the other side, we have Sanders the socialist, who’s had a surprisingly strong showing in the early stages of the race. Mike Bloomberg hasn’t hit his stride yet, but that could easily change with a victory on Tuesday.

Joe Biden's victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary was a convincing one as the former vice president rode a wave of African American support to end progressive rival Bernie Sanders’ winning streak. https://t.co/5LMrdtKfdv

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 1, 2020

The importance of Tuesday’s primaries can’t be overstated. They could go a long way towards deciding the Democratic candidate for president and, perhaps more importantly, they could set the direction of the party for years to come.

If Sanders pulls out a big win, it could send Democrats sliding down a slippery slope of socialist politics for years to come. On the other hand, a Biden victory could help the Democrat party recover from the plague of radical politics that have swept through its midst over the past few years.

This year, fifteen jurisdictions will hold primaries on Super Tuesday, with 1,344 delegate votes up for grabs. That’s about 34% of the entire pool of pledged delegates voting on one single day. The winning Democratic candidate will have to secure 1,991 votes to secure the nomination. Sanders currently leads the pack with 58, and Biden is right behind him with 50. Bloomberg will appear on the ballot for the first time on Tuesday.

You can do the math. There aren’t enough Super Tuesday votes for any candidate to secure the nomination outright. However, the day’s winning candidate could build a nearly insurmountable lead with a strong performance.

However, winning the nomination is only the first step. The winning Democratic candidate bares the task of beating the incumbent – and favorite to win the race – President Donald Trump.

Over the weekend, Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference just outside Washington, and he’s eager to mix it up with the Democratic contender. Trump even did a Bloomberg impression during his CPAC speech that quickly went viral. The president even has comedic nicknames for his three potential opponents: ‘Mini’ Mike Bloomberg, ‘Sleepy’ Joe Biden, and ‘Crazy’ Bernie Sanders.

Regardless of who wins on Super Tuesday, there’s no doubt that Team Trump will be ready to do battle with whoever the Democrats put in front of them.