‘Tell them it ain’t over’: Joe Biden looks past New Hampshire, turns focus back on SC
Suffering from disappointing results in two of the country’s early-voting states, Joe Biden set his sights back on South Carolina Tuesday night, hoping to reclaim momentum ahead of the state’s “First in the South” presidential primary.
“You have no idea how great it is to be back in South Carolina,” the former vice president told an excited crowd in Columbia, South Carolina. “I hope you guys love me as much as I love you guys.”
Biden’s return to the Palmetto State was a quick turnaround for the former vice president, who left the Granite State just a few short hours before primary results began trickling in. He went as far to cancel an appearance at an election night party.
Looking past New Hampshire, Biden said his campaign is moving into an important phase, “because up until now, we haven’t heard from the most committed constituents in the Democratic Party” — the black and Latino communities, Biden said.
“You can’t be the Democratic nominee ... unless you have overwhelming support from black and brown voters,” Biden said.
Biden has so far enjoyed widespread support from black voters in South Carolina, who make up more than 60% of the South Carolina Democratic Party primary voting bloc. Cutting some into that margin has included U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and California billionaire Tom Steyer, who not only has spent millions in the state on advertising but who also recently has turned his attention more aggressively onto Biden as the race to primary day in South Carolina heats up.
Columbia-area teacher Peggy Harrison said, however, Steyer isn’t a threat to Biden’s ability to win the state.
“I don’t know enough about him (Steyer),” said Harrison, 68 “I’ve never heard of him until this year.”
Harrison, a black voter who described herself politically as more “in the middle,” said Biden is more capable of beating President Donald Trump.
“I feel like I know him,” Harrison said. “I know what I’m getting.”
Acutely aware of being written off post two losses, Biden told the crowd, “You hear all of these pundits and experts and cable TV talkers talk about the race, tell them, ‘It ain’t over, man. We’re just getting started.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 11:01 PM.
