This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/usa/482036-south-carolina-primary-biden/

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Biden wins South Carolina primary, gets much needed boost after previous poor showing Biden campaign gets shot in the arm with landslide South Carolina win, still lags behind Sanders ahead of Super Tuesday
(about 1 hour later)
Joe Biden’s campaign showed its first signs of life in South Carolina, with the former vice president taking the lead over other Democrats in the state’s primary, including frontrunner Bernie Sanders.Joe Biden’s campaign showed its first signs of life in South Carolina, with the former vice president taking the lead over other Democrats in the state’s primary, including frontrunner Bernie Sanders.
According to exit poll data by Edison Research, Biden is on course to win at least 36 delegates from 54 up for grabs in the fourth and final early voting contest. Biden’s efforts in the state paid off after he won nearly half of the votes on Saturday, adding 33 pledged delegates. Sanders came in a distant second with less than 20 percent of the vote, but still leads Biden by eight delegates overall after winning New Hampshire and Nevada and a strong performance in Iowa.
Looking forward to securing his first victory in the so far listless campaign, Biden relied heavily on black voters. However, exit poll data indicates that while Biden did well with older African-American voters, the black youth vote was split between him and Senator Bernie Sanders, the current frontrunner in the nomination race. South Carolina was perceived by many observers as a make-or-break moment for the Biden campaign. Opinion polls projected he would win, but the victory needed to be convincing, otherwise he would be in a weakened position ahead of next week’s Super Tuesday, where over 1,000 delegates are up for grabs.
Sanders himself had to settle for a second-place finish in South Carolina. Conceding defeat at a campaign rally in Norfolk, Virginia, the senator was optimistic about his chances on Super Tuesday, while brushing off Saturday’s loss as a minor setback. The former vice president in the Barack Obama administration – who was endorsed by South Carolina Representative James Clyburn – was relying heavily on black voters to win big. However, exit poll data indicates that while he did well with older African-American voters, the black youth vote was split between him and Sanders on Saturday.
In the run-up to the vote, polls had Biden leading by double digits in the state, with Sanders and Tom Steyer trailing behind him and other candidates only earning single-digit support. The Vermont senator conceded defeat at a campaign rally in Norfolk, Virginia, but was optimistic about his chances on Super Tuesday, brushing off Saturday’s loss as a minor setback.
The victory gives the former vice president a chance to pitch himself as the alternative to Sanders, who has received heavy criticism from more mainstream Democrats like Hillary Clinton and prominent Democratic strategist James Carville. As Biden basks in his victory, he has received words of support from unlikely quarters. President Donald Trump tweeted that his victory shows that it’s time for billionaire candidate Mike Bloomberg to drop out of the race to not take votes away from Biden. The former New York mayor was not on the ballot in South Carolina, focusing instead on carpet-bombing Super Tuesday states with ads.
The Vermont independent was previously leading his competitors with 45 delegates after clear victories in New Hampshire and Nevada.  Biden’s comeback after his worse-than-expected results in previous states boosts his chances for nomination. Sanders has been heavy criticized by mainstream Democrats like Hillary Clinton and the national media, but has nevertheless managed to gain momentum with voters. Other contenders in the race are strategizing to keep him from winning a majority of delegates and score an automatic nomination, while pitching themselves as consensus candidates at what some believe may end up being a brokered convention in Milwaukee.
Leading up to Saturday’s vote, Biden’s campaign saw an uptick in donations, including $1.2 million from 30,000 donors on Wednesday. The victory gives him momentum he didn’t previously have going into Super Tuesday, where 14 states will vote in their primaries and over 1,000 delegates are up for grabs. Much like Biden, environmentalist billionaire Tom Steyer put a lot of effort in the South Carolina primary. It brought him just over 11 percent of the vote and no pledged delegates, after which he announced his decision to drop out of the race.
Like this story? Share it with a friend!Like this story? Share it with a friend!