Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 12:29 pm
George W. Bush told House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) that only Joe Biden could have defeated Trump.
Meg Kinnard of the AP tweeted:
New: On a call with reporters just now, @WhipClyburn says ex-President Bush told him he’s “the savior†because of his role in helping Biden win the Democratic nomination.
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Clyburn says Bush went on to call Biden “the only one who could have defeated the incumbent president.â€
— Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) January 20, 2021
George W. Bush was correct on both counts. Joe Biden was the only person in the 2020 field who could have beaten Trump. Joe Biden was able to build a coalition that was broad and diverse with a message of unity, and it was Rep. Clyburn who likely saved the country with his endorsement of Biden before the South Carolina primary.
Biden won South Carolina and from there, his momentum exploded and left little doubt that he would be the nominee.
The conventional wisdom in politics is that when voters choose a presidential nominee based on electability, they often lose, but in 2020 the majority of Democratic primary voters were correct. Joe Biden was the one candidate who could beat Trump, and none of it would have happened without Rep. Jim Clyburn.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association