According to exit polls and projections, former Vice President Joe Biden is winning the Democratic Party primary race in South Carolina . After suffering devastating losses in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, Biden now seems to be cruising to a landslide victory.
According to The Guardian , during an emotional victory speech, the former vice president teared up while talking to a crowd of supporters. “We have the option of winning big or losing big,” he said during the speech, adding that “the days of Donald Trump’s divisiveness will soon be over.”
“This campaign is taking off,” he told a crowd of cheering supporters.
Biden urged South Carolina Democrats to back Jaime Harrison, who is running to replace loyal Trump ally and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. As The Guardian notes, Biden’s mention of the down-ballot candidate appears to be strategic, given that his campaign has suggested that Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont — the national frontrunner — would harm the party’s’ chances to keep the House of Representatives and flip the GOP-controlled Senate.
As C-SPAN reported via Twitter , Biden also made sure to slam the press for doubting his campaign. During the speech, the former vice president claimed resurrection, suggesting that his commanding victory in South Carolina will generate the momentum necessary to do well in Super Tuesday states and other primary competitions.
“Just days ago, the press and the pundits had declared this candidacy dead. Now, thanks to all of you, the heart of the Democratic Party, we just won and we won big.”
According to reports , Biden’s campaign was hoping for a commanding victory in the Palmetto State. Democratic Party insiders have suggested that a Biden blowout could help stop Sanders from winning the nomination, provided that the former vice president turns the victory into Super Tuesday momentum. Some Biden allies have also suggested that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg needs to drop out of the race for Biden to consolidate the centrist vote.
According to polling, Sanders is favored to win the most delegates on Super Tuesday. The Vermont senator is doing well in delegate-rich states such as California, with a new poll from UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies conducted for The Los Angeles Times predicting that he will win the state in a landslide.
According to the poll, Sanders enjoys the support of 34 percent of California Democrats. Biden is in fifth place, polling at eight percent. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Bloomberg, and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg are all ahead of Biden in the Golden State.