After SC win, Hillary Clinton poised to sweep the South

Hillary Clinton’s South Carolina firewall turned out to be much more formidable than Bernie Sanders – or recent S.C. polls – predicted.

Winning by 48 points in Saturday’s Democratic presidential primary, Clinton next will compete Tuesday against U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in a dozen states.

Clinton is riding the momentum of a landslide into those states. In many, Clinton can expect similar support from African-American voters who cast more than 60 percent of the vote in Saturday’s contest, said Winthrop University political scientist Scott Huffmon.

For Sanders, Clinton’s Saturday rout makes his chance of securing the Democratic nomination even more remote.

“Bernie just made no inroads in penetrating Hillary Clinton supporters,” Huffmon said of Clinton’s win, propelled by the backing of 86 percent of African-American voters, according to exit polling.

“I would not be surprised if we saw the exact same pattern” in other Southern states with large blocs of black voters that hold primaries Tuesday, he said.

“Everywhere her core support, especially with African Americans, has her up, she’s going to take it just like (South Carolina),” wracking up victories and delegates.

Jennifer Palmieri, communications director for Clinton’s campaign, called Saturday’s victory “significant.”

“It’s a great test run,” she said. “It shows that among the four (early-nominating) states, she can get broad-based support from all demographics. This was significant, and we were not expecting as decisive a victory. And we’re really grateful, and the ratio with African-American voters is high.”

She added: “It’s a great test for Southern states, but we also were able to spend a lot of time here and staff resources. We don’t have as much of that on Super Tuesday, but this was a good test run.”

At her victory party Saturday in Columbia, Clinton noted the campaign “goes national,” starting with Tuesday’s contests Tuesday. “We are going to compete for every vote in every state, we are not taking anything and we are not taking anyone for granted.”

She will have help convincing voters casting their ballots Tuesday.

For example, iconic civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., is stumping for Clinton. The Freedom Rider, who was beaten at a Rock Hill bus stop in 1961, said he met the Clintons during the civil-rights era, but “never saw ... never met” Bernie Sanders.

In Lewis’ home state of Georgia, which votes Tuesday, Clinton has a 35-point lead.

The political arm of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus also has endorsed Clinton.

Winning decisively among African Americans

If polls of Super Tuesday states are predictive, Clinton will lose one or, maybe, two states: Vermont, Sanders’ home state where he leads by 75 points, and possibly Massachusetts, where Sanders and Clinton are in a virtual tie, according to polls taken this year.

Asked whether Sanders has any pathway to the nomination, Winthrop’s Huffmon said, “No, but he has a path to the convention stage, absolutely.”

Sanders has pledged to stay in the race possibly until June, forcing Clinton to fight for delegates until the end.

Clinton faced questions about her appeal to African-American voters heading into the 2016 campaign after losing to Barack Obama in 2008. In South Carolina, where Obama’s win was considered a turning point for the then-little known U.S. senator, the contest grew bitter.

But Clinton’s win on Saturday leaves little doubt that S.C. African-American Democrats hold no grudge against the Clintons.

“That’s story’s dead,” said S.C. Democratic Party chairman Jaime Harrison, a super-delegate to the national convention that will nominate a presidential candidate.

“The African-American community has said with a cohesive voice (to Clinton): ‘We appreciate your support and loyalty to Barack Obama,’ ” said Harrison, who pledged his support to Clinton after her win Saturday.

And that message, he added, is going to echo across the South.

Harrison said Sanders’ strategy to focus on less diverse states – Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts, for example – won’t work.

“If you cannot win the African-American vote, you can’t be nominated for the Democratic Party,” he said. “The African-American community is the most reliable vote for Democrats.”

This story was originally published February 28, 2016 at 9:47 PM with the headline "After SC win, Hillary Clinton poised to sweep the South."