The South Carolina primary was held on Saturday. It was the first state primary to feature a racially diverse electorate, and it showed in the results. Joe Biden scored some big last-minute endorsements in SC, including Rep. Jim Clyburn, which absolutely signaled to older voters and African-American voters that Biden was the “safe” Democrat. Biden ended up winning the primary with 48.4% of the vote. Bernie Sanders came in second with less than 20%, then Tom Steyer, then Pete Buttigieg, then Elizabeth Warren (who only got 7.1%). The pundits are now positioning the race as “Biden vs. Bernie,” because I guess what we really need is to spend the next three months with two ancient dudes yelling at each other constantly. Liz Warren, you’re our only hope.
Anyway, after Buttigieg’s better-than-expected performances in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, I thought he would be sticking around for a while longer. But he barely put together 8% of the vote in South Carolina and I guess he saw the writing on the wall? Because Mayor Pete is dunzo.
Pete Buttigieg, the former small-city Indiana mayor and first openly gay major presidential candidate, said Sunday night he was dropping out of the Democratic race, following a crushing loss in the South Carolina primary where his poor performance with black Democrats signaled an inability to build a broad coalition of voters.
The decision comes just 48 hours before the biggest voting day of the primary, Super Tuesday, when 15 states and territories will allot about one-third of the delegates over all. The results were widely expected to show him far behind Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Senator Bernie Sanders.
Mr. Buttigieg canceled plans for a Sunday night rally in Dallas and a Monday morning fund-raiser in Austin, Tex., to return to South Bend. “Sometimes the longest way around really is the shortest way home,’’ he told supporters to loud cheers.
“The truth is that the path has narrowed to a close, for our candidacy if not for our cause,” he said, adding “Tonight I am making the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency.”
On a conference call with campaign donors on Sunday evening, Mr. Buttigieg said he had reached the decision with regret but concluded it was “the right thing to do, when we looked at the math,” according to one person on the call. Without mentioning opponents by name, Mr. Buttigieg said he was concerned about the impact he would have on the race by staying in, saying Democrats needed to field “the right kind of nominee” against Mr. Trump.
It’s weird to me that candidates are dropping out BEFORE Super Tuesday and not after, although props to Pete (and weirdly, Tom Steyer) for doing their part to narrow the field before a third of the electorate votes tomorrow. Anyway, I didn’t like Mayor Pete as a presidential candidate, but I would enjoy him as a gubernatorial candidate or a senate candidate. Something to think about, Mayor Pete. Plus, it was great to see the first openly gay presidential candidate. Visibility is important! I gotta think Pete’s husband Chasten is probably happy that they got this far.
Always. pic.twitter.com/yalM4AILGn
— Chasten Buttigieg (@Chas10Buttigieg) March 2, 2020
Also: people are dreamcasting Kamala Harris as Biden’s running mate if he gets the nom. That… would be an interesting ticket. A compelling ticket.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
And shocker, there’s a segment of Bernie’s fans have started being openly racist after the result. Who could have suspected that?
Yes, those same folks who virtuously demand that everyone vote blue are also proudly asserting that if it’s not their God, Bernie the Magnificent, then they won’t vote.
Berners are something else with their hypocrisy, my wow.
Bernie is a cult, just like Trump.
Don’t forget that Russia is promoting Bernie. That’s why it looks so similar to Trump’s cult like support. He needs to put a stop to that or step down. Ignoring it is just gross.
We’ve known that since 2016 and they’ve only gotten worse. I’ve said before that I was a fan of Bernie 25 years ago, but the berniebots cured me of that. If he’s the ultimate nominee I just hope he chooses a great vp so that she can step in when he drops.
@Frida_K “Yes, those same folks who virtuously demand that everyone vote blue are also proudly asserting that if it’s not their God, Bernie the Magnificent, then they won’t vote.”
Which is exactly what Bernie’s followers said and did in 2016. Bernie didn’t help matters by refusing to gracefully bow out after Hillary reached the magic number. And instead of talking his Kool-Aid drinking followers down and putting his support behind Hillary, Bernie sat quietly while they drove themselves into a frenzy trying to convince the Democratic Convention to force Super Delegates to take the nomination away from Hillary and give it to him.
I couldn’t believe Bernie didn’t step in and throw his support behind Hillary, the Democratic nominee … or at least take his toys and go home when he realized he didn’t have the numbers to win the nomination (traditionally, that’s what the losing campaigners have done, no matter how much animosity they felt for their former opponent).
t’s not just his followers, y’all. This all flows from Bernie down. I believe he truly does feel that entitled; which is too close to Trump for my taste.
I apologize to the Bernie Bros and Sisters here for dissing your candidate. But for me, Bernie is just a less scarier version of Trump.
It’s really a shame how childish so many of his followers are. I agree with pretty much all of Bernie’s ideas and love that he’s been fighting for the same things his whole career, but I hate how immature his supporters (and Bernie himself) can be.
I’ll vote for whoever gets the Dem nomination, but for me it’s still Warren 2020.
@YVETTE Bernie campaigned for Hilary during the election. He wasnt successful in getting his supporters over to her side, but he did travel and appeared at some of her campaign rallies with her, urging people to vote for her and warning people of the dangers of trump winning.
@Yvette, I’m no Bernie fan (Any longer) but you are misremembering. At the 2016 DNC, Bernie did concede. He made a speech stating that the party must come together and support Hillary for president. His base instead decided to not listen to him which says a lot about the kind of zealots he attracts. I was all for Bernie in 2016 but I listened to him and honored his plea and voted for Hillary. I have a great amount of respect for Hillary and ended up broken-hearted that she lost. It’ll just a be a repeat this year if Bernie doesn’t get it, but I’m actually afraid of what will happen if we have a President Sanders come November. I worry that he won’t end up being their perfect messiah and they will turn on him. We’ve already seen from 2016 that they don’t care enough to listen to him when it counts, for all their feverish worship.
She’s not misremembering. Candidates usually drop out and throw their support to the nominee way before the convention, and Bernie should have done so. There were concerns Bernie would make a scene on the floor at the convention.
Bernie also reportedly wanted to primary Obama, so Bernie officially sucks. He’s the liberal trump and I’ll only ever consider him if he’s the nominee.
@Sandy thanks but I remember how it went so I don’t need a refresher. Butt out since you clearly want to just get in here and cause a fight. That’s the only thing you had to say after everything else I said? Clearly we are on the same page but you wanna argue over nothing. Rude
In 2016, Bernie stayed in long after the math made it impossible for him to win the nomination. When Clinton crossed the delegate threshold on June 6th, he said “the Revolution continues!” He then tried to persuade super delegates to go against Clinton and back him. He did eventually support Clinton on July 12th, but he should have ended his campaign many weeks before he did.
Ultimately, I think it was his comments about her during the primaries that made it nearly impossible for all of his supporters to back Clinton in the general. Bernie let things get far too toxic, and couldn’t stop the monster he created and it had a serious impact. He’s doing it again this year.
Biden/Harris ticket please..
I think Harris is amazing, but the Democratic nominee is going to win CA. The VP needs to be from a swing state.
Stacy Abrams.
@ Jerusha – agree!
Strategically you are so right. He needs someone from the swing states.
Stacy Abrams is currently my favorite person in all of politics. I would be thrilled to vote for her as VP.
Harris also went at Biden pretty hard in the early debates. I’ve heard Stacey Abrams mentioned a few times a while back when he was the front runner. I would be excited for either woman, they’re both very smart and capable.
I actually think Harris will be the pick, and she’s a good pick. We need CAs electoral pull. Plus this will set her up for 2024.
Democrats are now said to be “coming home” to support Biden. Bernie is a disgrace and will lose the general – plus all he and his followers do is bash and destroy other Democrats. I cannot stand him. He’s holding rallies in MA to take Warren’s voters and I think she is hanging in to get VP. She doesn’t have a path and neither does Klobuchar.
I agree that Dems are “coming home” to Biden. I’m relatively active in local politics and I talked with five people this weekend who were like “ok, enough…..we’re voting for Biden. Bernie cannot be the nominee.” None were particularly excited to vote for Biden (even though they liked him as VP), but felt that’s what needed to happen now. All of them had liked Buttigieg and/or Klobuchar previously. I’m a Midwesterner, for what it’s worth.
This is my first choice as well! I love Stacy Abrams (went to hear her when she was here in L.A. On her book tour; she’s very inspirational!) but I don’t think she has all the experience needed yet. Now…in 4-8 yrs: Harris/Adams?? HELL YEAH!!
I think Abrams is a powerhouse. I’d love to see her get a high profile cabinet position and then pivot to another gubernatorial run in GA (though that would be tricky due to timing). But there are great things in her future, that is for sure.
Also, I want Biden to win and enact a restorative agenda. If we have two seats on the Supreme Court, one goes to Deval Patrick and one to Anita Hill.
For VP, I prefer Amy K, Kamala, or a governor from a purple state to Stacy Abrams. I like her too but she seems too inexperienced. Maybe a cabinet position
A SC seat should go to Obama before or after Patrick, no? Trump would explode from fury.
I love to see Harris as AG and send ALLLLLLLL these corrupt jerks to jail.
Great pick in case he dies in office. This is a legit concern for Bernie/Trump/Biden given their ages.
Another name tossed around as a potential VP candidate with Biden is Stacey Abrams.
I heard someone (@docrocktex’s thread but I don’t think she said it) say that she’s doing amazing anti-voter suppression work. If she’s actually making a dent on that, I hope she stays where she is. But I’d like her as VP a lot.
Whatever she chooses to do, which apparently won’t involve running for the Senate, Stacey is a rising star in the party. I met her years ago when she was accepting a New Frontier Award from Caroline Kennedy at the JFK Library. She’s an engaging speaker and knows how to convince people to work together.
I got a text from Bernie’s campaign yesterday, asking me if I supported him. It felt good to text back, “oh hell no.”
Biden/Harris would make me happy.
I got a text AND a phone call. The same from the Bloomberg sector. Told them Liz is my candidate.
I will be so glad when Wednesday rolls around. In Alabama all the down ticket races are almost exclusively Rs and they are peeing their pants trying to out-god and out-trump each other. If you want to vomit, look up Chris Pringle’s ads.
I just got an email from Liz’s campaign asking me to text voters. I think I might do it! I made calls on Friday for about 30 min, didn’t connect with anyone though. It was easy though. I have also done Postcards to Voters, but that is not for Liz, just urging Democrats in key districts to vote by mail to increase turnout.
I switched from Independent to Democrat so I voted for Liz in the Florida primary. She is amazing! Plus she can run for re-election in 2024 when she wins, unlikely for the two 80 year old men..
“ “Sometimes the longest way around really is the shortest way home,’’ he told supporters to loud cheers. “
Everything he says is so empty and meaningless. Good riddance.
Eh, he may lean a bit too heavily on platitudes but he’s an intelligent, compassionate guy. Trump is the one who’s truly empty.
Love Pete. He was a refreshing candidate. Obviously, he wasn’t the right person to lead us at this time, but I hope he continues to follow his political path.
I think it was a play on the title of his book, “Shortest Way Home”
I don’t agree. I think Buttigieg is great. I think he has the same kind of charisma that Kennedy and Obama had. Buttigieg/Warren would have been my dream combination, I don’t care in which order. I’m surprised he didn’t get farther in the race. Next time.
I feel this run was “getting his name out there, nationally “. He is bright, charismatic….really listens. I went to a couple of his L.A. Fundraisers. He is a rising star. Keep watching.
For now, I’m Biden/Harris all the way.
Yes, Bernie stans are absolutely being racist on social media. Calling black voters “low-information” and whatsnot. It was predictable, but it’s still disturbing.
Edit: the comment I was responding to has been deleted.
As a black woman who voted in the SC primary, I was so offended by these implications. My father grew up under segregation and Jim Crow so trust and believe black people know how bad it was and how bad it can get, especially for us. Bernie bros just need to admit that they’re mad black people didn’t do what they felt in reality would be beneficial to white people and vote for Bernie. Treating us as if we don’t know what is best for us is insulting. If Bernie ends up being the nominee they are going to need us for him to win so insulting our intelligence now won’t help.
Btw I have never been swayed by endorsements. I don’t vote for a certain person because a celebrity or a politician endorsed them. Biden is popular here, so I think he was going to win with or without Clyburn’s endorsement.
@BlueSky, I’ve been offended not just by white Bernie bros but some of the black Berners insulting older and Southern black people for how they voted. My mother is originally from the South and now lives in the Midwest. She said she’s not voting Sanders because he’s been saying the same thing for decades with little to show for it. She doesn’t think he will be able to accomplish the plans he’s proposing. Another relative I spoke with said something similar. She doesn’t believe “this old white man” is going to usher in a revolution. We have a right to be skeptical, and I voted for Bernie over Hillary in the 2016 primary. The more I familiarize myself with Bernie’s history, the less inclined I am to vote for him. Tomorrow, my husband and I have decided to vote for Warren.
@WTW I’ve seen that too and it’s just ridiculous. There are some black people who fall prey to the same stereotypes we fight so hard against. That we should all vote the same. We are not a monolith. If you feel Bernie is your guy, then fine. I’m not going to talk down or insult you for it. I understand his appeal to black voters. I didn’t vote for Bernie because I find him way too divisive. I think he will further divide the country and I don’t think he’s well liked and respected enough that he will be able to get things done.
They could not stand it that Sanders (I refuse to call him by his first name) got spanked by Biden. The racist comments have been flowing.
Warren isn’t getting the votes. She’s not going to make it.
I hope Kamala goes on board with anyone but Biden, seriously. He does not deserve her or Stacey Abrams.
Biden’s camp has allegedly asked Warren and Klobuchar to stay in at least through Super Tuesday to blunt Bernie’s delegate count, and I think Warren might rack up some delegates (I’m hoping, anyway! I think there needs to be African American representation on the ticket, so I don’t think Biden would offer Warren the VP, but I hope she gets something).
The home states of both Warren and Klobuchar are in play on Super Tuesday so they expect to do well, at least at home. Bernie has been campaigning heavily in MA, trying to beat Warren at home. There are tons of students here and his campaign has focused on them. Everyone I know who early voted went for Warren so this might be tight. And yes, Bernie’s people are being mindnumbingly misogynistic, even the women.
Klobuchar is out as of this afternoon and is supporting Biden. I think she was drawing votes away from him, not Bernie.
My understanding of why he dropped out before Super Tuesday is so that the delegates he would have gotten go to Biden (presumably).
Correct! The DNC and big donors are pressuring the other moderates to drop out. If they do, Biden will benefit as the only remaining moderate.
Pete has massive racial issues in his city, he fired the only Black chief and hide records showing racism practiced by the White Cops. He had *no Black* support or endorsement from POCs.
Warren is going to stay in until she hits rock bottom in delegates. Kloba will stay in until she wins her state delegates to prove she will be the ideal VP for Biden.
Honestly only a Bernie cult can win against Trump’s cult. Yeah I hate his online supporters but he is our best bet. Moderates won’t vote for him but new voters will, especially in the Hispanic community.
Whether we like it or not, we need the votes from the moderates and GOP who defected the party. Bernie is not the palatable middle for these people. So no to Bernie we’d just get another crazy show from him.
We need moderate voters, and you can look as recently as 2018 to see how they will vote when presented with moderate democratic candidates. We already know how to win, we just did in 2018.
Trying to beat a cult with a cult gives you nothing to stand on and it becomes a wash.
“Moderates won’t vote for him but new voters will, especially in the Hispanic community.”
Only PARTS of the hispanic/latino community will vote for Bernie. Many Venezuelan and Cuban Americans are horrified by Bernie’s identification as a socialist and his comments on dictators. We have no chance of winning Florida if Bernie is the nominee.
Peak patriarchy when we are going to have to choose between a couple of ancient white men in both the primary and the general. Neither Biden or trump are mentally sharp enough to do the job. Bernie seems mentally with it but he’s had a recent heart attack. Why won’t people vote for Warren? She’s sharp as hell and still vigorous.
It’s like trying to get my kids to brush their teeth; do it, it’s good for you, if you don’t and get cavities you will regret it! Come on all you a-holes and get on board with the candidate who cares about people, can run a business, and has a damn plan; it’s good for you!
Here’s a factoid that blew my mind – Trump, George W Bush and Clinton were all born in the summer of 1946. Biden and Bernie are older than all of them. And Clinton was elected president 28 years ago. I’ll vote for them if I have to but I seriously can’t believe everyone’s so excited about electing guys that will turn 80 in office. Ugh.
I don’t understand why anyone would want such a stressful job at that age. Retire and enjoy the years you have left !
Yes Aang. Peak patriarchy.
I’m still really sad Warren is not doing better, IMO she is by far the best candidate.
But any of them are better than Trump.
It’s astonishing to me that she’s not doing better. Someone said that if she were a man, she’d be the frontrunner by a mile. I’d argue that it’s not quite that simple but the point is generally true, I think. 🙁
I’m voting for Warren, and even I don’t think this is true. She failed to campaign much in either Nevada or S.C. She couldn’t explain how she was going to pay for Medicare for All when asked about it. She has been inconsistent about the stories she’s told about her past and has done a poor job of voter outreach, prioritizing policy and overtures to influencers over face-to-face interaction with the people. Her debate strategy also has much room for improvement. She went after Bloomberg, which he deserved, but his name wasn’t even on the ballot. She needed to go after Bernie, who was an immediate threat before Nevada.
“prioritizing policy and overtures to influencers over face-to-face interaction with the people.”
What? Out of all the candidates, you say this about Liz Warren? The one spending hours taking selfies with the people that come to her rallies? I’ve known people who’ve she’s visited at their homes! I know multiple people who have photos with her (and i don’t know that many people).
Completely agree with you.
I was shocked to learn that my Republican brother is voting for Warren. So is my other brother, who is super liberal (I had him pegged as a Bernie Bro). They said Warren seems to be the only adult on the campaign trail, and the only one whose plans make sense.
You love to see it.
I agree with WTW about Warren. The Pocahontas thing is such a juvenile, racist, demeaning name, but unfortunately I think people are bothered by the hypocrisy of her using her ethnicity to help her get ahead. She was also for completely opening borders, which is going to be terrible with voters in swing states. I don’t think any Democrat voter wants the horrible family separation policy and costly border wall but the majority of voters do want enforcement of immigration laws. I also think she tried to do everything. I wish she had stuck to a campaign message around corruption reform because her ideas are amazing and I hope are adopted by the eventual candidate.
There is no evidence at all of her using it to get ahead. She’s the best candidate but the media just keeps downplaying her so it makes people nervous.
Sad to see him go, even though it was the right thing to do. An amiable, smart, classy candidate…guess I knew that wouldn’t fly. I keep wondering if the Bernie crowd really believes he can snap his fingers and give everyone everything for nothing.
Yeah Pete really is classy isn’t he? He really impressed me and I truly believe we’ll see him again in 4 years. Also, I like Bernie but the things he’s promising Americans just isn’t going to happen. Free tuition for everyone huh? So even kids from filthy rich families get free tuition? Are tax payers ok with this? Why not just have free tuition for those that can’t afford it?
Bernie’s pie in the sky promises will never come to fruition. I mean who is going to pay for all that free stuff?
They manage to pay for it in Europe.
the government?
cheers from Copenhagen, where i am taking my second free education, have gotten a mole removed for cosmetical reasons for free and have a wonderful security net if i am unemployed.
im not trying to be hateful but u have internalized what the richest 0.1% are saying, that its unfeasable. Its not. dont let them frigging fool u.
I will stan Warren forever. And not just because the thought of MORE crusty white men yelling at clouds is infuriating.
Same.
And I love how all the Bernie stans are screaming for Warren to drop out. I’m not sure why they would assume that with her gone, people would automatically vote for Bernie. I said I would vote blue in November no matter what. But no way am I voting for him in the primary.
Me too/neither. I’ll vote for him in November – if I must – but there’s no way in hell I’d vote for him in a primary. He is the Vienna sausage to Elizabeth Warren’s grass fed, grain finished steak.
@Betsy, I love your analogy and might have to tuck that away for another time.
Australian-obsessed-with-US-politics here.
I just want to highlight a parallel with Australia that I keep seeing.
In 2007 we elected a PM called Kevin Rudd (well, we didn’t elect him directly thanks to the Westminster System). He was a progressive- just like Bernie- with lots of great ideas and energy. FINALLY, a true reformer, right?
Wrong.
Because it turns out he was a nightmare behind the scenes- dogmatic, inflexible, dismissive and verbally abusive to staff and colleagues alike. He got little-to-nothing done, not because he didn’t have the smarts or the commitment- but because he was temperamentally incapable of bringing people- even those in his own party- along with him.
You can be the most popular-with-the-voters politician in the world, but if you can’t create unity, you can’t and won’t deliver (in a democracy, that is).
Please, PLEASE, don’t make the mistake we did. We’re arguably still paying for the chaos he wrought by a swing back to successive, truly awful conservative governments.
Bernie’s ideas are great but, I promise you, he is temperamentally incapable of delivering within the structure of a modern democracy.
Thank you for your input!! Yes to everything you said.
And now the Bernie Bros who’ve spent the last few months calling Pete everything but a child of God, are all over Twitter and Reddit demanding his supporters turn to St. Bernard.
This is of course, when they take a break from bashing the hell out of black voters in SC.
Racism, sexism, homophobic, – it’s the trifecta of shittiness.
A relative texted me that Pete dropped out yesterday as I was working. Then, they asked me who I was voting for in the primary. I said Warren (if she’s still around). I think they thought I’d fall in line and pick Sanders. Nope. Big fat nope. I’ll vote blue no matter who, but Bernie will never be my first choice. His stans have turned me off him forever.
Californians began voting February 22 by mail. Numbers vary between 70-80% on voters who vote by mail. Our numbers might not reflect the drop offs. I voted last week. I’m an Indie who is voting straight Dem.
I voted for Kathleen Weinstein who is running against Kevin McCarthy, another Drumpf croney.
One of the groups I belong to states Bernie has the edge in CA. I didn’t vote for him but do understand medical care and cost of education are a priority for many in this state.
I voted in CA yesterday. The number of candidates on the ballot, some I haven’t even heard of is bewildering and some of the bigger names who aren’t still running (Pete was still running as of that time of day). I’m so confused by how this all works now and delegates won fairly. Where’s the transparency when a huge number of votes has been cast for a candidate who’s no longer in the game?
Thank you for asking this really important question. It was on my mind as well.
I think we’ll have an accurate vote tally and all the candidates numbers will be published. I’m moderately comfortable with my decision, but do understand there are those who are looking to who will beat Drumpf. Whoever gets the win I hope many remain active politically. I voted for Kamala Harris in our state. Booker, Guttigieg, Castro, Warren, I’d love to see part of our Dem administration.
I voted almost 2 was ago, by mail (in California). Some votes were easy, (Biden!) but I had my laptop open to look up those names, even for judiciaries, I wasn’t that familiar with. If I couldn’t find affiliation, I tried finding out their backgrounds for clues. This is too important to not vet ALL candidates down the line..
KellyRyan –
I think we’ll get an accurate tally, but I just saw somewhere that a former candidate can then determine to whom all those votes go? i.e. Whereas Buttigieg’s votes might have been split across several candidates, they’ll now all go to just one? Am I understanding that correctly? Does this feel completely different than 2016? Like, there weren’t major candidates dropping out minutes before a huge vote last time.
bettyrose , I’m an Independent in CA and this is the first time as an Indie I’m able to choose a party to vote for in the primaries, (interesting, you can’t choose the GOP). I assumed the top vote count gains the delegates. We’ll find out tomorrow.
Jan, I’ve been lost in the general election on judiciary candidates, do understand.
I’m in Kern County. We have a vote for congress person, presidential candidate, bond issue for school funds and two on legalizing marijuana.
I want to see our Dems say, “All In.” Use it nationwide in marketing.
Ugh!!! I cannot stand Bernie!!!
I’m sad to see him go. He got so far. He should be proud of that. Maybe next time Pete ! Anyways, let’s just all hope a Dem gets into office.
I think we’ve known all along the ultimate showdown would be Bernie-Biden, and in that case my main interest is the VP contenders because that person is our future, possibly even before 2024, let’s be real. But I’m so enamoured of Warren right now that it’s all pissing me off, and I’m terrified of Sanders going rogue and running independent. Makes one just want to read about Kardashians and ignore it all..at least for a few moments.
I’m in Denver and the temperature here is very Warren. Bernie is there too but I think he’s not as popular. I’ve seen a lot more support for Warren in the last month here than any other candidate. Bernie was big here in 2016 but I think he and his bros really turned off a lot of people here. I’ll be surprised if Biden does well here.
I think it’s so sad that there were so many really great candidates in the Democratic primary only to end up with Biden vs Bernie. Klobuchar, Warren are great candidates. Buttigieg, Harris, Booker and Castro were great candidates.
I agree. I’m voting for Biden because I think Bernie would be a disastrous nominee, but I’m not excited about it.
Agree Wilma. It’s very sad that of all the exciting and diverse candidates we started with, we’re basically left with two old white dudes. I’m still holding onto a bit of hope for Warren though. I live in Texas, north of Austin in a red county, and have already early voted for her. Of the local Dems I know, Warren has the strongest support for sure. I know a handful of people who are team Sanders (and they are veering dangerously close to cult-like support IMO).
I’ll vote blue no matter who in the general, but I would feel slightly better about voting for Biden or Sanders if they choose a good running mate. If a girl can dream though, I’d want Warren/Castro.
I agree, I really liked the majority of the field in the beginning, but it’s whittled down to my favorite, Warren, and my 3 last picks. Ugh. The good thing is most of the rest of the field is pretty young and could gear up for another run in the future.
I’m fairly pro Bernie (though acknowledge his supporters can be rabid), but can be swayed towards any candidate but Biden. His “Poor kids are just as smart and just as talented as white kids” slip was the nail in the coffin for an already unlikable personality. Which Is wild considering I thought he was great and charismatic as VP. I havent liked him without Obama around. Pete would have been good. Warren’s good but seems to be losing traction.
I knew Biden would take SC. They’re very blue dog down there and he is the closest approximation. I grew up in Charleston and everyone I know (and I know a lot of people there thanks to my family) was voting for him. I know a handful who went Bernie but I’ve known since Biden announced his campaign that he would take SC. It was a lock of course when Clyburn endorsed him.
@McMom. I love that response!! I just can’t with the Bernie BS. I really liked Mayor Pete but I had decided to vote Biden in my primary as BS needs to be stopped. I felt awful as I had donated $ & time to Pete. But with his withdrawal last night,which truly shows love of country over self, I will vote tomorrow a little more lighthearted. Biden said there will be a place for Pete in his administration. I will admit to crying while listening to his speech last night. He sounded like a President should sound. It’s truly about Us as a country. I’ve missed that.
Funny side note, man of the people Bernie sauntered onto the wrong Gulfstream jet in SC on Saturday. There were 4 in a row. He got on the wrong one. 3 belonged to his campaign. I’m guessing 1 is for his ego alone
I also donated time and money to Pete, and I was devastated last night. I’m not a registered Dem so I don’t get a primary vote but you can bet your biscuits I’ll vote for Joe in the general election. I can’t afford not to, living in a red state (FL).
I actually like the prospect of an Andrew Gilliam VP which should being FL into play. Harris seems the frontrunner at the moment
Ooh, Andrew Gilliam would be a good option. I have a feeling Biden would choose a woman though.
MNM, I’ve been volunteering with Postcards to Voters, and they’ve targeted a LOT of potential Florida Dem voters to do vote by mail, which increases turn out. Hopefully your state is flippable!
I was sad to hear about this because I was #TeamPete all the way, but I’m ready to put my energy into whoever ends up being the Democratic candidate. If that’s Biden, then so be it. Just pleasepleasepleeeeeeeease don’t let it be Bernie.
I am so hopeful that Mayor Pete will be asked to be in the Cabinet. He is more intelligent, well-spoken, and empathetic than all the members of the current cabinet put together. That’s really not as nice a compliment as I’d like to pay him. I think that with some experience at the federal level he will become an even more formidable candidate. If we can’t have Warren leading the ticket, there are numerous cabinet jobs where she would be great, but she is so valuable in the Senate. Meanwhile, my disdain for Bernie and the bros continues to grow. Bernie is well aware that this is his last chance and I think that has made him even more shrill. I honestly believe that if he is the nominee Trump will win. Vodka will flow in Moscow!
I agree with Kaiser about Biden VP choice. I will go further to add I think it might be Biden’s big chance to possibly win the Nomination if he chooses Kamala for his running mate. He needs a big star next to him, otherwise BS is a runaway train. Just my opinion of course. I will be Voting Blue regardless by Mail in October.
I wonder how many people in Super Tuesday states cast an early vote for Pete? There was a very long line at my polling place in Texas last week. I’d be so upset if my vote was thrown out like that.
I’m in Colorado and I’m dropping off my ballot tomorrow. I had a couple of candidates in mind, but I wanted to see who dropped out first. I’m unaffiliated, so this is the first time I’m voting in a primary since Colorado changed their rules to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in a primary.
I’m also in Colorado. We vote by mail and over 900,000 ballots have already been turned in so I’m sure thousands voted for Pete or Amy Klobuchar and can’t change their votes. The last polls had Warren in 2nd, though, so they weren’t polling high to begin with. I sat on my Warren ballot and turned it in today!
I personally think we should cap the age you can run for office to 70. This way the oldest you could be in office is 78.
And weirdly I’d be fine with lowering the age. I think experience matters, but we’ve seen some amazing twentysomethings in Congress and some elderly dudes with a billion dollars and no relevant experience running for president.
And there goes Klobuchar.
And she endorsed Biden.
I think most of the other candidates are going to end up backing Biden in order to try to block Bernie. I approve of this!
Politics aside, I am so physically and mentally attracted to this man. I know he’s gay but I can’t help it. Am I alone here?
@Panzley: Thank goodness someone else said it! I thought I was the only one! I think he is so sexy—-mentally, physically, the way he expresses his thoughts, the way he holds himself on the debate stage! I am a woman, I fully know he’s as unavailable as it gets , but I think he’s adorable. I can’t help it. I’m the same age as him and if I’d known him in college, I would have had a massive crush on him!
I agree, he’s very hot. And so articulate. I hope Pete joins Congress or becomes a governor. Then he should run for prez again.
Seeing Kamala as VP would make this whole mess of an election worth it.
I’m still voting for Warren tomorrow. I’m pretty bummed at the number of people I’ve talked to today that are moving their votes from Liz to Biden so they don’t “waste their vote.” It’s the primaries; you shouldn’t have to hold your nose and compromise your values just because you want to vote for the person who is likely to win.
I’m so frustrated.
I think it depends on your state. On Super Tuesday, vote with your heart. My state votes two weeks after Super Tuesday and im voting with my head – Biden.
Good for you Chloe. And H, I understand. We are in a difficult spot.
👋 Pete! YAY BERNIE!
Anyone but Bernie! Kamala for AG, EW somewhere..she’s too sharp to push aside. Amy K. needs a spot too!
There’s been some article going around FB that basically says the way to beat Dump is to include all of the POTUS candidates in roles in the Dem nominees administration. Everyone’s favorite gets a role.
I’m from the South Bend area. I was part of a young professionals group. One of the big events was going to the Morris theater and seeing the Mayor Buttigieg play piano, which he did beautifully an orchestra played after. I wish I’d spoken with him one on one! I’d prefer not to vote for Biden, although loved him as VP, I don’t want to vote BS as I think he’s too decisive and will not get anything done. I will vote blue come Election Day.