It was an expectedly low turnout primary in South Carolina, but President Biden proved the media narratives wrong with a dominant performance.
The Biden campaign used South Carolina to test drive its message to African-American voters. African-American turnout was 13% higher in early voting than the competitive 2020 Democratic primary. So much for the idea that African-American voters won’t show up for Biden.
The Biden campaign expected to get about 70% of the vote. Instead, they got almost all of it. So much for the media narrative that Democrats won’t show up to support Biden.
What Did Biden Say After Winning South Carolina?
In a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, President Biden said:
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As I said four years ago, this campaign is for everyone who has been knocked down, counted out and left behind. That is still true today. With more than 14 million new jobs and a record 24 straight months — two years — of the unemployment rate under 4%, including a record low unemployment rate for Black Americans, we are leaving no one behind.
In 2020, it was the voters of South Carolina who proved the pundits wrong, breathed new life into our campaign, and set us on the path to winning the Presidency.
Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have spoken again and I have no doubt that you have set us on the path to winning the Presidency again — and making Donald Trump a loser — again.
When I was elected President, I said the days of the backbone of the Democratic Party being at the back of the line were over. That was a promise made and a promise kept. Now, you are First In The Nation.
The stakes in this election could not be higher. There are extreme and dangerous voices at work in the country — led by Donald Trump — who are determined to divide our nation and take us backward. We cannot let that happen. We’ve come a long way these past four years — with America now having the strongest economy in the world and among the lowest inflation of any major economy. Let’s keep pushing forward. Let’s finish what we started — together.
Donald Trump has yet to put up the sort of comprehensive wins in the Republican primary that Biden has in the Democratic primary. Trump is trying to run as the defacto incumbent on the Republican side, but the GOP contests have revealed that a sizable percentage of the Republican Party doesn’t want him and has doubts about his electability.
Democrats are literally almost 100% unified behind Biden, and if that unity continues, it will be key to their victory in November.
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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
