Biden's poor showing in Iowa shakes establishment support

[left-of-center2012]

oe Biden’s third presidential bid enters a critical stretch after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses sent the former vice president on to New Hampshire with a skittish donor base, low cash reserves and the looming threat of billionaire rival Michael Bloomberg and his unlimited personal wealth.

In New Hampshire on Tuesday, Biden insisted he had a “good night” in Iowa even as he trailed the top moderate candidate, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, and the leading progressive, Bernie Sanders, according to initial returns from 71% of precincts. Biden was running fourth, close to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who just days ago polled in single digits.

That leaves some establishment Democrats, including some Biden supporters, questioning his contention that he’ll reclaim clear front-runner status in the race against President Donald Trump once the primary fight moves beyond overwhelmingly white Iowa and New Hampshire to more racially diverse electorates. And it’s a reminder of how Biden’s previous presidential campaigns never advanced beyond Iowa.

“If he came in fourth, yeah, that could hurt,” said Bill Freeman, a Biden donor from Nashville, Tennessee, who added that he hadn’t even considered such a possibility heading into Monday’s caucuses. “That’s a bad night, no matter how you spin it.”

https://apnews.com/8a6ea236b5abcb43b40f79cfbf3f8c20

[DanTex]

1. Yup. This is why Iowa was so important to Biden, despite the spin from the Biden camp.

It wasn't about the delegates for Biden, it was about the donors. He doesn't have a enthusiastic base of small donor support like Bernie. He relies on the big money people, and with his SuperPAC, on the huge money people. If they start losing confidence and closing their wallets, he has a big problem.

There's definitely a chance that the big donors start drifting to Pete as the centrist alternative to Biden.

[stonecutter357]

2. good let's go Joe !

[jalan48]

3. It appears we are being conditioned to accept a Biden withdrawal and

acceptance of Bloomberg as the new "He has the best chance to beat Trump" candidate.

[bluewater]

6. Seems so.

There seems to be a growing lack of confidence in Joe.

That's the reason Bloomberg entered the race in the first place and Joe's poor performance in Iowa is making that seem more and more reasonable to backers and donors.

[CatMor]

4. It didn't shake my support ....

I'm with Biden all the way. I dont find the Iowa caucuses that important. I feel they should be done away with.

[Green Line]

5. I just donated again, Iowa was never in Joe's gameplan

[CatMor]

7. I smell some Republican influence in what happened..

in Iowa. Neither trump or the republicans want to have Biden as the nominee because they know he can win.

[PatSeg]

12. I did as well

Hopefully, other Biden supporters will donate too.

[emmaverybo]

13. Getting on it today.

[PatSeg]

15. I just heard on MSNBC

that Biden's ad spending in New Hampshire is the lowest among the candidates, about $600,000. He is going up against an awful lot of money.

[LanternWaste]

8. IA was Bernie's to walk away with. He dropped the ball.

To me, the take-away is that Bernie snatched defeat from the jaws of a much-prophesied commanding victory. So I get why a lot of people need to deflect from his anemic performance in one of the most demographically friendly states, and focus on why Biden didn't win a state he wasn't projected to.

[emmaverybo]

14. Now that's a real point to consider. It was Bernie's to lose, not Biden's to win.

[redstatebluegirl]

9. I just donated again. I believe in Joe and I smell a GOP rat involved in all of this.

[yaesu]

10. I think the Biden campaign will do just fine despite Iowa nt

[Historic NY]

11. You can put money on the fuckery that went on in Iowa.....