“A ‘Super Tuesday’ Finally Fulfills its Hype” – The Sunday Political Brunch - March 8, 2020

Sunday, March 08, 2020

Mark Curtis, GoLocalProv Contributor

 

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Joe Biden won Super Tuesday

I’ve been covering elections since 1978 and every time we hit a presidential cycle, we get beat over the head with how BIG Super Tuesday will be. But it’s almost always been a bust! So often the momentum out of the first four contests creates a frontrunner that is hard to beat. Not so this year. Super Tuesday 2020 may be a seminal event in this race. Let’s “brunch” on that this week!

“By the Numbers” – There was certainly a momentum shift in this race Tuesday, as former Vice President Joe Biden won 10 of the 15 primaries. Previous frontrunner Bernie Sanders won four states, and flash-in-the-pan candidate Michael Bloomberg won American Samoa, and then promptly dropped out of the race. But certainly, the party’s sudden and dramatic shift to what had been a lackluster Biden campaign was stark. Again, I’ve never seen this in terms of a momentum changer.

“By the Delegate Count.” – By no means am I suggesting a curtain call for Bernie Sanders. He’s still very much viable. As of today, the delegate count is: 627 for Biden, 551 for Sanders, 64 for Elizabeth Warren, 60 for Michael Bloomberg, 26 for Pete Buttigieg, 7 for Amy Klobuchar and Tulsi Gabbard winning the “John Connelly Delegate Award” with just one. (Google it if you don’t get the joke!) She may have 2 delegates, but we’ll see, as the count goes on.

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“Mayor’s Major Mistakes” – The rapid rise and fall of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was stunning, but not unprecedented. In 2008 his predecessor at Gracie Mansion, Rudi Giuliani, also ran for president. Like Bloomberg, Giuliani basically skipped the first four primaries, putting all his effort and money on the Florida primary. He was banking on all the New York and New Jersey retirees in the Sunshine State to send him to victory. Instead, he lost badly (finishing a weak third place), his campaign collapsed, and he was forced to drop out. Why Bloomberg stole a page from the failed Giuliani playbook is beyond me. It was the classic, “Same Song, Different Verse!” phenomenon. Wow!

“The Quid Pro Quo?” – In the impeachment of President Trump, we heard a lot about deals made with a “quid pro quo” attached. Basically, it’s a deal-making technique used often in politics. The premise is, “You give me something of value, and I will give you something of value in return.” It’s standard politics in Washington D.C., state capitols and city halls throughout the land, (and trust me I get people’s legal and ethical concerns). But, when Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg suddenly dropped out of the race Monday night and endorsed Joe Biden, don’t think for a moment that they were not promised something in return. I bet Klobuchar asked for Vice President or U.S. Attorney General. I bet Buttigieg asked for Secretary of Defense or Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Unseemly or not, that’s how deals get done!

“I’m Puzzled?” – I still believe a constituency to watch is young voters, who most often vote in low numbers, but sometimes surge to the polls when a candidate such as Barack Obama inspires them. This year, millennials were basically divided in two Democratic camps – backing Sanders or backing Buttigieg. But when Buttigieg dropped out, he endorsed Biden. Obviously, the youth vote is fractured and often in the past that lead to indifference and low voter turnout. It’s a trend to keep an eye on. We’ll see if young voters warm up to Biden.

“Warren’s Wane” – A lot of people have asked me, “What happened to Elizabeth Warren? She was supposed to be a big factor?” I am somewhat surprised, too, at her lackluster performance because she had consistently been one of the best debaters. Her first problem was that she and Bernie Sanders were “fishing in the same pond.” You had two New Englanders talking about student loan forgiveness and Medicare-for-all, and a lot of other issue positions in common. Second, Sanders was simply better known based on his national performance in 2016 almost prying the nomination away from Hillary Clinton. Third, Sanders supporters were rabidly loyal in 2016, and equally so in 2020. It explains, in part, why she came in third place in her home state Massachusetts Primary on Tuesday. Still, her endorsement of Biden or Sanders could matter.

“What’s Next?” – Six states will hold primaries on March 10, with the biggest prizes being Michigan, Missouri and Washington state. The following week on St. Patrick’s Day, the big states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Arizona vote. I predict on that day, we know who the nominee will be, even if they have yet to reach the requisite number of delegates. Look, it’s a Biden-Sanders race and these next 10 contests, in two weeks, will likely solidify the momentum.

Has Super Tuesday changed who you are supporting on the race for the White House? Just click the comment button and let us know!

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Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is Chief Political Reporter for the five Nexstar Media TV stations serving West Virginia, its five neighboring states, and most of the Washington, D.C. media market. 

 

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