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S.C. Democrats head to the polls; Clinton, Sanders head out of state South Carolina primary: Hillary Clinton projected to win
(35 minutes later)
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Democrats are still voting in South Carolina, but the Democratic candidates were already moving beyond this state on Saturday — both literally and figuratively — as a victory seems nearly certain for former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. COLUMBIA, S.C. —Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is projected to win the Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina, according to exit polls and early returns – a victory that showcased Clinton’s durable support among black Democrats, and raised questions about Sen. Bernie Sanders’s ability to compete with her in the South.
Early exit polls showed several very favorable trends for Clinton here. In particular, they indicated a strong turnout among African Americans in South Carolina: a group that Clinton counted on to defeat Sen. Bernie Sanders here. The Associated Press projected Clinton as the front-runner immediately after polls closed at 7 p.m. Eastern. For Clinton, this was the first comfortable victory of a Democratic primary season that – just a year ago – was supposed to be comfortable from end to end, with Clinton waltzing through as a front-runner. Instead, Sanders – the Vermont senator who calls himself a “democratic socialist,” and has electrified young voters and white liberals – beat Clinton handily in New Hampshire, and came unexpectedly close to beating her in Iowa and Nevada.
Black voters account for roughly six in 10 Democratic primary voters in preliminary exit polls reported by ABC New. That would would set a new record: the current record is 55 percent, set in 2008 as then-Sen. Barack Obama campaigned — against Clinton herself — to become his party’s first African American nominee. Quote from Clinton.
Exit polls reported by ABC News also showed that a large majority of Democratic voters, fully seven in 10, wanted the next president to continue President Obama’s policies, rather than pursue a more liberal agenda. Sanders has called for a “political revolution” that would enact sweeping liberal policies — including universal, government-run health insurance — beyond what Obama has put in place. The victory in South Carolina will allow Clinton to re-claim the psychic mantle of “front-runner,” for better or worse, and to add to her lead in Democratic delegates. Clinton’s advantage among delegates stood at 505 to 71 before Saturday’s primary, primarily due to her advantage among “superdelegates,” the elected officials and other top Democrats who get their own vote at the Democratic convention, along with the thousands of delegates chosen through state primaries and caucuses. The eventual nominee will need 2,383 delegates in all.
And exit polls showed there had been no surge in young voters, a key part of Sanders’s voting base. In these early polls, younger voters’ current share of the vote in South Carolina was on pace to be the lowest yet in any Democratic primary contest this year. Clinton’s advantage in South Carolina was so large that neither candidate bothered to campaign in the state on Saturday. Instead, both flew on to states that will vote on “Super Tuesday” next week. Clinton went to Alabama, another state where black Democrats will be a powerful force in the primary. Sanders went to Texas and Minnesota, where he hopes to attract the same kind of young voters, liberals and white working-class Democrats who helped him win in New Hampshire.
[To understand Clinton’s appeal in South Carolina, meet Bernice Scott] For Sanders, the race does not get much easier from here. Clinton has significant leads in polls from six of the 11 states that will vote on Super Tuesday, most of them in the Deep South. Sanders can plan on at least one sure win, in his native Vermont. In four other states – Oklahoma, Colorado, Massachusetts and Minnesota – either the polls are too close to project a favorite, or too spotty to make a prediction at all.
Polls in South Carolina will close at 7 p.m. Eastern time. The South Carolina primary had been viewed for months as a test of Clinton’s “firewall” strategy, an electoral Plan B concocted after her leads eroded in Iowa and New Hampshire. The idea was that many of the things many young voters and liberals didn’t like about Clinton – her long time in Washington, her ties to the Democratic establishment, her incrementalist approach to governing – would appeal to black Democrats, who would see them as signs of realism and experience.
Clinton herself will be in South Carolina at that time. She returned to Columbia on Saturday evening after visiting Alabama — a state that votes on Super Tuesday next week — for much of Saturday. Sanders sought to undermine the firewall by aiming to attract young black voters, and by emphasizing the need to fight police brutality and long mandatory prison sentences. He got endorsements from Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike and from Erica Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner, a Staten Island man who died in 2014 after a New York City police officer put him in a chokehold during an arrest.
Sanders will not be in the state. In fact, when polls close in South Carolina — at the moment when the race might be called for Clinton — Sanders did not even plan to be on the ground. His itinerary calls for him to be in the air — on a plane with no Internet access — at the time the polls close. “We have got to achieve the day when young black males and women can walk the streets without being worried about being harassed by a police officer,” Sanders said in Columbia, S.C. earlier this month.
For much of the day, Sanders was 1,000 miles away in Texas, speaking to huge, enthusiastic crowds that turned out for a pair of rallies in the state that will have the most delegates at stake on Super Tuesday. He also spoke about Flint, Mich., a majority-black city where mistakes by state and local officials caused toxic lead to leach into drinking water. Throughout, Sanders sought to show that the problems of black voters called out for more than Clinton was aiming for, that they could only be solved by Sanders’ “political revolution.”
More than 10,000 people streamed to an outdoor rally on a gorgeous day in Austin, cheering virtually every sentence that Sanders said. Sanders boasted about how he was going to beat Donald Trump “soundly” in the general election and before leaving stage, he beamed as he sang “This Land is Your Land” with the daughter of Willie Nelson and granddaughter of Woody Guthrie. In South Carolina on Saturday, some voters seemed to have taken Sanders’ message to heart.
A boisterous crowd of more than 7,000 came to see Sanders later Saturday at a theater in Grand Prairie, just outside Dallas. “He sounds like how I feel,” said Emily Drucker, 28, a white voter from Columbia who was supporting Sanders. “He seems uncorrupted.”
At both stops, Sanders needled Clinton about her refusal to release transcripts from speeches she gave to Wall Street firms after leaving the State Department in the run-up to her presidential bid. But, in interviews, many black voters – especially those at or near retirement age-- said they trusted Clinton more.
“It seems to be that if you’re gonna give speeches behind closed doors to Wall Street groups like Goldman Sachs, and if you’re gonna get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for that speech, it must be a great speech, and you want to share it with the American people,” Sanders said in Dallas. Later, he traveled to Minnesota, another key Super Tuesday state. “We’ve made a lot of progress in the last eight years, and Hillary is the best person out there to continue the progress,” said Al Tucker, a 67-year-old African American in Columbia. “You look at South Carolina, and we’re at the bottom in anything you can think of: education, poverty. I think Hillary would be good because she’s going to look out for us.”
On Saturday, Clinton surrogates including Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the top black Democrat in the House, visited polling places to make one last pitch.
In South Carolina itself, Clinton sent surrogates including Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) — the top-ranking black Democrat in the House — to polling places to make one last pitch. In many places, it seemed that the voters didn’t need it: Black voters, seen as key to Clinton’s victory here, praised her long experience in Washington.In South Carolina itself, Clinton sent surrogates including Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) — the top-ranking black Democrat in the House — to polling places to make one last pitch. In many places, it seemed that the voters didn’t need it: Black voters, seen as key to Clinton’s victory here, praised her long experience in Washington.
“We’ve made a lot of progress in the last eight years, and Hillary is the best person out there to continue the progress,” said Al Tucker, a 67-year-old African American in Columbia. “You look at South Carolina, and we’re at the bottom in anything you can think of: education, poverty. I think Hillary would be good because she’s going to look out for us.”“We’ve made a lot of progress in the last eight years, and Hillary is the best person out there to continue the progress,” said Al Tucker, a 67-year-old African American in Columbia. “You look at South Carolina, and we’re at the bottom in anything you can think of: education, poverty. I think Hillary would be good because she’s going to look out for us.”
[What happens when Hillary Clinton crashes a bachelor party? She’s in the photos.][What happens when Hillary Clinton crashes a bachelor party? She’s in the photos.]
Sanders had hoped to make inroads in South Carolina, to demonstrate that he could undermine Clinton’s “firewall” of Southern states with large populations of black Democrats.Sanders had hoped to make inroads in South Carolina, to demonstrate that he could undermine Clinton’s “firewall” of Southern states with large populations of black Democrats.
But that didn’t happen: Recent polls showed him 25 or more points down here. And in Texas, where Sanders drew more than 10,000 people at a rally in Austin, he did not mention South Carolina’s primary at all.But that didn’t happen: Recent polls showed him 25 or more points down here. And in Texas, where Sanders drew more than 10,000 people at a rally in Austin, he did not mention South Carolina’s primary at all.
Instead, Sanders recounted the more successful parts of his upstart challenge to Clinton: his near-tie in Iowa, his big win in New Hampshire and his come-from-behind 5-point loss in Nevada.Instead, Sanders recounted the more successful parts of his upstart challenge to Clinton: his near-tie in Iowa, his big win in New Hampshire and his come-from-behind 5-point loss in Nevada.
“And now, we come to Super Tuesday,” he said, predicting a big turnout in Texas.“And now, we come to Super Tuesday,” he said, predicting a big turnout in Texas.
For Clinton, a big victory in South Carolina would reestablish her as the presumptive Democratic front-runner. And it could be a favorable sign going into Super Tuesday, when six of 11 Democratic contests will take place in Southern states with large populations of black voters.For Clinton, a big victory in South Carolina would reestablish her as the presumptive Democratic front-runner. And it could be a favorable sign going into Super Tuesday, when six of 11 Democratic contests will take place in Southern states with large populations of black voters.
[Sanders unloads on Clinton during raucous speech in Chicago][Sanders unloads on Clinton during raucous speech in Chicago]
Sanders is looking ahead to contests in which he has a greater chance of winning — and a chance, he says, to hang onto the momentum and enthusiasm that his strong liberal message has generated in this unusual election year.Sanders is looking ahead to contests in which he has a greater chance of winning — and a chance, he says, to hang onto the momentum and enthusiasm that his strong liberal message has generated in this unusual election year.
He has said he is prepared for a drawn-out battle for the Democratic nomination. But Super Tuesday could test whether voters will let Sanders go that far.He has said he is prepared for a drawn-out battle for the Democratic nomination. But Super Tuesday could test whether voters will let Sanders go that far.
He will win his home state of Vermont, of course. But Sanders is also hoping for victories in such states as Oklahoma and Massachusetts, where polls show Clinton may be more beatable. Sanders also seems to believe that he has a chance of success in Texas, given his campaign schedule there Saturday. But recent polls have shown him down significantly.He will win his home state of Vermont, of course. But Sanders is also hoping for victories in such states as Oklahoma and Massachusetts, where polls show Clinton may be more beatable. Sanders also seems to believe that he has a chance of success in Texas, given his campaign schedule there Saturday. But recent polls have shown him down significantly.
In South Carolina, it seemed that Sanders’s efforts had not been nearly enough to overcome Clinton’s long connections here — which stretch back to her husband’s first run for the presidency in 1992.In South Carolina, it seemed that Sanders’s efforts had not been nearly enough to overcome Clinton’s long connections here — which stretch back to her husband’s first run for the presidency in 1992.
“She’s far and away the most qualified, but she has some real issues,” said Roger Blau, 70, of Columbia, who voted for Clinton. “She’s very intelligent, very qualified, very experienced. But I don’t know if she’ll get a lot done with a Republican congress.”“She’s far and away the most qualified, but she has some real issues,” said Roger Blau, 70, of Columbia, who voted for Clinton. “She’s very intelligent, very qualified, very experienced. But I don’t know if she’ll get a lot done with a Republican congress.”
At Shandon Baptist Church in Forest Acres, S.C., 96-year-old Harriet Pooley had come to vote for Hillary. She said she was ready for a change in Washington.At Shandon Baptist Church in Forest Acres, S.C., 96-year-old Harriet Pooley had come to vote for Hillary. She said she was ready for a change in Washington.
“I voted for Hillary because I want women power, and I want the women to take over,” Pooley said. “The men have made a mess. It’s about time we took over.”“I voted for Hillary because I want women power, and I want the women to take over,” Pooley said. “The men have made a mess. It’s about time we took over.”
Still, some cast their ballots for Sanders.Still, some cast their ballots for Sanders.
“He sees drastic change, and I don’t see anybody else seeing that,” said Amber Lee, 28, at the Sims Park neighborhood center, where voters were scarce but decidedly for Sanders. “I see my father, and he’s been a staunch Republican all his life. And Bernie is saying what he’s saying, only differently. And that’s what I agree with — let people do what they want to do and give them the means to do it. And that’s what I think Bernie’s trying to do.”“He sees drastic change, and I don’t see anybody else seeing that,” said Amber Lee, 28, at the Sims Park neighborhood center, where voters were scarce but decidedly for Sanders. “I see my father, and he’s been a staunch Republican all his life. And Bernie is saying what he’s saying, only differently. And that’s what I agree with — let people do what they want to do and give them the means to do it. And that’s what I think Bernie’s trying to do.”
John Mucklebauer, 46, is an English professor at the University of South Carolina, so Sanders’s stance on higher education affordability hits home: “He’s someone who actually cares about education and wants people to have access to it.”John Mucklebauer, 46, is an English professor at the University of South Carolina, so Sanders’s stance on higher education affordability hits home: “He’s someone who actually cares about education and wants people to have access to it.”
And Emily Drucker, 28, said she supports Sanders because: “He sounds like how I feel. He seems uncorrupted.”And Emily Drucker, 28, said she supports Sanders because: “He sounds like how I feel. He seems uncorrupted.”
Anne Gearan and Hannah Jeffrey in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report. Phillip reported from Columbia, Birmingham, Ala., and Charleston. Wagner reported from Columbia, S.C., Austin, Grand Prairie, Mich., and Rochester, Minn. Anne Gearan in Washington and Hannah Jeffrey in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.