Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the South Carolina Democratic primary, and revived the hopes of centrist Democrats to avoid a socialist takeover of the party by the Independent senator from Vermont and a Jew wannabe Bernie Sanders. This was the first state Biden has ever won in a primary (it’s his third run).
Addressing the Democrats who will vote in the 14 states that hold primaries in two days, on Super Tuesday, Biden urged them to pick him over Sanders and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg (without mentioning their names), and reminded everyone the news of his demise was premature.
“Just days ago, the press and the pundits declared this candidacy dead,” he said happily. “Now, thanks to all of you, the heart of the Democratic party, we just won and we’ve won big because of you. We are very much alive!”
With close to 100% of the votes counted, Biden showed a huge lead with 48%, with Sanders trailed with 20%. Millionaire Tom Steyer, who came in third with 11%, which means he did not cross the 15% threshold needed to translate his win into delegates. This was, apparently, enough for Steyer, who announced he was dropping out of the race.
The delegate count, on the eve of Super Tuesday, when more than 40% of the Democratic primary votes will be cast, potentially washing over these current figures, is as follows: Bernie Sanders is ahead with 56 delegates; Joe Biden is close behind him with 48; Pete Buttigieg 26; Elizabeth Warren 8; Amy Klobuchar 7.
Biden’s win Saturday was made possible by the African-American majority in the S. Carolina Democratic party – which exit polls show gave him 80% of its votes. Sanders, who won two white states – Iowa and New Hampshire – and one state with a big Latino presence, has yet to gain the trust of traditional Black voters. Blacks and women have been the backbone of the democratic party in the past 50 years.