Former vice president Joe Biden cruised to a crushing win at the South Carolina primary Saturday, reasserting his claim as the Democrat that can beat Trump, and derailing what earlier seemed to be an inevitable romp by frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT. This is Biden's third try at the presidency -- and his last.
A mass of polls consistently predicted Biden's win in the days leading up to the South Carolina primary, but the mammoth extent of the win by former president Barack Obama's BFF was unexpected. CNN called the contest for Biden with only 3% of the vote counted and about an hour after the counting started on account of Biden's massive initial 60% voter support.
With 39% of the vote counted, Biden still held on to 50.6% of the vote compared to 18.6% for Sanders and 11.8% for billionaire Tom Steyer, who later on withdrew from the race. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, got 7.6% of the vote and former mayor Pete Buttigieg, 6.6%. The win saw Biden rocket into second place among national delegates behind Sanders.
Biden's firewall, the African-Americans that comprise 60% of the party's voter numbers in the state, came through for him in the clutch despite polls showing his support among the key voting bloc on the decline. South Carolina exit polls show 64% of black voters supporting Biden. Sanders came in a distant second with black voters at 15% followed by Steyer at 13%.
"For all those of you who have been knocked down, counted out, left behind -- this is your campaign," said Biden in a victory speech to his euophoric supporters. "We're decent. We're brave, we're resilient people. We can believe again. We're better than this, we're better than this president. So, get up, take back our country. This is the United States of America."
It's the first primary win ever for Biden. He came in fourth in the Iowa caucuses, fifth in New Hampshire and second in Nevada last week. Political pundits say the most advantageous effect of Biden's South Carolina win will be to convince donors to back him with more money. Biden will now certainly get a big fundraising boost but is coming into Super Tuesday late seeing he focused much of his energy and money on winning South Carolina.
Sanders conceded defeat to Biden, but looked with unvarnished confidence towards Super Tuesday on March 3. Polls show Sanders with almost insurmountable leads over Biden in California and Texas, two of the most voter-rich states up for grabs. Sanders is also expected to do credibly in liberal Massachusetts and Minnesota. At least 34% of all Democratic Party delegates will be awarded on Super Tuesday in 14 states and the territory of American Samoa.
"You can't win them all," said Sanders of the South Carolina result. "There are a lot of states in this country, nobody wins them all."
Heading into Super Tuesday, Biden will again present himself as the only moderate alternative to the hard-left and progressive Sanders, whose Medicare for All platform still divides the Democratic Party. Biden is again expected to hammer home a message uncovered by many polls over the past months -- he's the only Democrat certain to beat Trump in November.
"Folks, win big or lose, that's the choice," said Biden. "Most Americans don't want the promises of revolution. They want more than promises. They want results."
On Tuesday, Biden told a TV audience, "I intend to win South Carolina and I will win the African American vote here in South Carolina."
He said he's "worked like the devil to earn the vote of the African American community. Not just here, but across the country. I have been coming here for years and years, creating jobs here ...."
