Blood in the Water: Biden campaign reels after New Hampshire trouncing

[brooklynite]

“There’s blood in the water,” said Quentin James, executive director of The Collective, a political action committee that backs African American candidates. “Black voters are starting to leave him now. … A big reason lots of black voters were with Biden is they thought he was the best person to beat Trump. And they thought one reason for that is that he had the support of white voters. Now they see he has done so poorly with white voters and he no longer looks like the electability candidate.”

The size and scope of the loss — he failed to crack double digits or win any sizable city or town — challenged the wisdom of Biden’s strategy of not competing hard in New Hampshire. Biden had downplayed expectations of doing well here, claiming New Hampshire favored politicians from neighboring states, like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. But two politicians from the Midwest, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg, finished ahead of Biden, undercutting his talking point.

“This is horrendous. We’re all scared,” said a Biden adviser, speaking anonymously because the comments conflict with the brave public face the campaign is trying to broadcast. “I think we’re going to make it to South Carolina. I know we’re supposed to say we’re going to and we’re going to win. But I just don’t know.”

Biden’s fourth-place finish in Iowa further eroded his already tenuous foothold in the Granite State. In the final hours before the primary, the campaign concluded it was headed for another embarrassing defeat and recalibrated, moving the candidate to South Carolina for the forward-looking rally. Even before Tuesday, several Biden aides had predicted Biden could finish anywhere from third to fifth place in New Hampshire.

[krissey]

1. I do not see it for Biden. All in to see what happens. But, I am not seeing it. I think we will

all have to get behind two of our other Democratic candidates.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. I haven't seen it for Biden since the race began...I predicted Biden slidin from & Bernie glidin to

the frontrunner position. Indeed, I've been right the entire primary season... and, no, Bloomberg will not succeed as Joe's sposed replacement. Mayor Mike is about to be vetted... hopefully, comparable to that of what Bernie has received. Then watch as Bloomberg's poll numbers plummet like Joe's have!!


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join The Revolution!!

[krissey]

5. I see Sanders as weak too. He is not getting his vote split, but the others are. Sanders

doesn't have the numbers, his supporters aren't voting, and not getting new votes. I see what was perceived as the top two not the strong candidates. Because all pre Iowa they were projected out front, it had the more solid candidates not looked at. I think they will be considered now.

[NoMoreRepugs]

2. Yep, less than 2% of the country voting - from

IOWA and NEW HAMPSHIRE ( yuk yuk) should be enough to scuttle anybody’s campaign.

[Indepatriot]

4. I've never seen a candidate concede a primary like Biden did in the debate before New Hampshire...

He absolutely telegraphed his coming defeat with the "We've taken a hit, and we make take another in New Hampshire" line... then to fly out on the day of the primary....not a sound political strategy... I don't see him doing well on Super Tuesday, even if he pulls off a win in NC...

[RegexReader]

6. here's to hoping that it doesn't go past the first vote

and the bought&paid for 'super delegates' to disregard the desires&votes of the people.

[msongs]

7. the people are voting against our revolution....by huge margins nt

[Recursion]

9. You mean the people that have done the actual work

of building and maintaining the party over the years? Those people?

[Scurrilous]

8. He's behind by 16 delegates. History says that's a trifle.

Train keeps a rolling.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[honest.abe]

10. If Biden does poorly in NV, his support will further crater.

He could even lose SC. If that happens it’s over.

[Laelth]

11. I find James' analysis amusing.

In essence, he says Biden looked electable to black Democrats because, in part, black Democrats thought white Democrats liked Joe a lot. Now that they see that white Democrats aren't so fond of Joe, black Democrats are having second thoughts about him.

What's amusing to me is the way this logic perfectly mimics a common stereotype to which many Americans fall prey. Many white Democrats assume(d) that black Democrats supported Obama because he was black--a gross stereotype that is only partially true. Most black Democrats that I know supported Obama not because he was half-black but because he was a Democrat. Conversely, however, it appears that black Democrats are guilty of the same kind of stereotyping. James' analysis (above) suggests that black Democrats made an assumption that proved to be false. They assumed that white Democrats would support the whitest candidate, and, let's face it. You can't get much whiter than Joe Biden. LOL. Now, they're finding out that they were wrong in their assumption about Joe.

Flame away, but I found this amusing.

-Laelth