Joe Biden, in Greenville, South Carolina, February 19, 2020. – The Greenville News-USA TODAY NE
This victory should relaunch his campaign. Former Vice President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary in South Carolina on Saturday, confirming himself as the favorite’s first rival
Bernie Sanders to pick up
party nomination. After three disappointing results in previous states, this is the first victory of the 77-year-old candidate in the Democratic primaries, who must designate the candidate who will challenge
Donald trump in November.
His victory was announced a few minutes after the polling stations closed by the mainstream American media. The race remains long until the nomination of a Democrat to face the Republican Donald Trump during the presidential election in November. But immediately after South Carolina, momentum is set to pick up on Tuesday’s “Super Tuesday” when 14 states vote.
Popular in the African American electorate
“I have dedicated my whole life to serving this country, and I am not finished with it,” Joe Biden tweeted on Saturday. He was to celebrate his victory Saturday night in Columbia, the capital of the state where blacks, with whom he is very popular, represent more than half of the Democratic electorate. The septuagenarian was in dire need of this victory, having only come fourth and fifth, respectively, in Iowa and New Hampshire. Joe Biden had climbed to second place in Nevada, but was far behind independent senator Bernie Sanders.
Commenting very quickly on Twitter, the American president estimated that this victory of Joe Biden should sign the end of the campaign of the New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg. “The victory over the sleepy Joe Biden (…) should put an end to Mini Mike Bloomberg’s laughable campaign,” Donald Trump tweeted, using the nicknames he uses to name his rivals.
Sanders’ far left campaign
Bernie Sanders, 78, self-proclaimed socialist, is campaigning on a far left program for the United States. His rise worries some moderate Democrats who fear that Bernie Sanders will not be able to convince more centrist voters, essential according to them to beat Donald Trump.
In South Carolina, its popularity among Democratic voters was only 53%, according to an ABC exit poll, and 57% among Blacks. Far from Joe Biden who recorded a 75% popularity in the same survey, amounting to 84% among black voters.
Six other candidates running
Behind Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, six other candidates are still in the running for the Democratic nomination, many of whom will play their survival in the coming days. In South Carolina, billionaire Tom Steyer, 62, rose to third place in the polls thanks to an intense campaign, which has already cost him more than $ 20 million. The pressure is great on progressive senator Elizabeth Warren, 70, who had once been a favorite but did not break through in the first elections.
After his good results in Iowa and New Hampshire but a more disappointing score in Nevada, the ex-mayor of South Bend Pete Buttigieg, 38, is also eagerly awaited. He absolutely must demonstrate that he can do better with minorities, because this electorate is crucial for any democrat wanting to win the White House. Multi-billionaire Michael Bloomberg, 78, once again spent his turn in South Carolina as he waits for “Super Tuesday” to enter the race.
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