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By Dayo Benson, Editor Politics,Law/Human Rights New York
Former Vice President Joe Biden, Saturday night bounced back into the reckoning with an emphatic win in South Carolina’s Democratic Presidential primary. The victory which was Biden’s first, has bolstered his chances ahead of March 3 Super Tuesday primaries in 14 states.
Biden won with 245,069 representing 48.7%, followed by Bernie Sanders who came distant second with 20%. Billionaire Tom Steyer who came third with 11.4% has dropped out of the race. Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg placed fourth with a single digit 8% which did not give him any delegate. He may also drop out any moment. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar were in fifth and sixth positions with 7% and 3% respectively.
Cumulatively, Biden is ahead of other candidates in terms of popular votes.
South Carolina is expected to shape the outcomes of subsequent primaries because of its demographic diversity. About 67% of the population is black.
An estimated 60% African Americans voted for Biden in the primary which also witnessed 40% whites and 2% Latino voters turnout.
Biden had promised to win South Carolina despite a streak of poor performances in Iowa and New Hampshire where he finished in fourth and fifth positions respectively. He came second behind Sanders in Nevada. South Carolina has changed the dynamics of the Democratic nomination race which placed Sanders as a front runner.
The former VicePresident whom many had literally counted out of contest, set the tone for the victory when he stunned critics with his sterling performance at the South Carolina’s Presidential debate, the 10th in the series, last Wednesday night.
In his victory speech in Columbus, South Carolina’s capital last night, Biden said his candidacy was declared dead few days ago, but added that “We are alive because of you.”
He pointed out that the party’s decision on whoever emerged as nominee would “determine what we stand for.”
He promised to build on the legacy of former President Barack Obama, “ We want Democrats that are Democrats. We want Obama/Biden Democrats. We have the option of building on Obama’s legacy”, said Biden. He picked holes in the ideology of one of the candidates, even as he vowed to reform America’s criminal justice system.
“We need change now, most Americans don’t want revolution, talk is cheap”, he said.
Biden stated that the race “ is about the soul of America. The days of Donald Trump’s divisiveness will soon be over. Get up, let’s do it together and take back our country “ he said.