Don’t call it a comeback.
Former Vice President Joe Biden emerged from Super Tuesday the clear victor shocking many pundits who believed the night would be a coronation for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.
Biden went on a tear winning primaries in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Biden also took the Democratic primaries in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas. After carrying the South Carolina primary last week, it was high time for the former vice president to praise his voters, his family and himself.
“Just a few days ago, the press and the pundits declared the campaign dead,” said Biden during his speech last night. “And then came South Carolina and they had something to say about it. We were told that when we got to Super Tuesday it would be over. Well, it may be over for the other guy.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, 553 delegates were declared for Biden compared to 488 for Sanders. Elizabeth Warren trails far behind the candidates with 61 delegates. The Democratic candidate needs 1,991 delegates to win the nomination.
While Sanders won the California primary, the night was a letdown for the senator whose supporters expected him to swipe up more states and take a significant lead in the race for the Democratic nomination. Sanders criticized Biden once it became clear Biden was the victor on Tuesday.
“You cannot beat Trump with the same old, same old kind of politics,” said Sanders during a speech in his home state of Vermont. “What we need is a new politics that brings working-class people into our political movement, which brings young people into our political movement, and which in November will create the highest voter turnout in American political history.”
Sanders went on to criticize Biden for supporting America’s invasion of Iraq 20 years ago and for his approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Sanders believes has been less than beneficial to American labor.
Nevertheless, it was all about Biden on Tuesday night as several former Democratic candidates, and others, have rallied around him to give their endorsement for president. Biden is gambling on a coalition forming around him that would allow him to sail to the nomination the night of the Democratic National Convention. Former candidates Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Beto O’Rourke endorsed Biden after they all dropped out of the race.
Biden also picked up another endorsement from another Democratic presidential candidate the morning after Super Tuesday.
On Wednesday morning, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced that he’s dropping out of the race citing an unclear path to the Democratic nomination. Bloomberg, who spent $500 million on his campaign, said he’s dropping out for the same reason he decided to run.
“Three months ago, I entered the race for president to defeat Donald Trump,” said Bloomberg. “Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump—because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult. I’m a believer in using data to inform decisions. After yesterday’s results, the delegate math has become virtually impossible—and a viable path to the nomination no longer exists.”
But Sanders isn’t done. With Elizabeth Warren a distant third, it’s inching closer to a two-person race. There’ll be higher stakes attached to each upcoming primary. After Super Tuesday, Sanders left for Michigan to start campaigning for the Michigan primary. Despite last night’s results, the senator remains confident that time is on his side.
“Tonight, I tell you with absolute confidence, we are going to win the Democratic nomination, and we are going to defeat the most dangerous president in the history of this country,” said Sanders.