Former Vice President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in Iowa and New Hampshire has certainly put his campaign in peril. The only question is if there is any way he can overcome his dismal performance in the upcoming Nevada and South Carolina primaries.
Many of Biden’s advisors offer hope, but the statistics show that the campaign may be in a free fall from which it may never recover. The former VP seems to sense this already, as he told his supporters that he expected to take a hit in the New Hampshire primary, and his assessment was spot-on. He ranked in a dismal fifth place. Sen. Bernie Sanders won, while South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg closing in at a close second. Sen. Amy Klobuchar had a strong third-place showing.
Some pundits expect Biden’s prospects to improve when South Carolina goes to the polls. There is polling data to support this — Biden has polled well with South Carolina Democrats — particularly with black Americans. However, others warn that this support could easily fizzle if Biden doesn’t show drastically improved performance in Nevada.
The Biden campaign is pushing the “electability” narrative from the very beginning. He contends that, because of his “moderate” policies, he is the best candidate to face off against President Donald Trump in November. However, the former vice president’s polling struggles could lead many to believe that South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the one to take on the Democrat Party’s “leading centrist candidate” position.
Mayor Buttigieg has done well in both Iowa and New Hampshire, and he is expected to do well in Nevada too. His winning streak could lead people to desert the former VP in favor of a seemingly more appealing candidate, especially if Biden’s fundraising figures continue to tank.
It’s hard to predict what will happen in the upcoming primaries, let alone Super Tuesday. However, what can be said for certain is that the odds of the former Vice-President winning the Democrat nomination just plummeted, and the odds of a brokered convention have, at the same time, skyrocketed.
While many of Biden’s supporters are turning to Buttigieg, others have opted to support different candidates. This means that it is very possible that no one candidate will win enough delegates to avoid a second vote at the Democrat Convention. Such a vote, should it take place, would likely result in party elites literally selecting their chosen standard-bearer, a move that would naturally anger voters who are already suspicious of the DNC’s obvious bias against Sen. Sanders.
Joe Biden’s stumbles could not only spell the end of his campaign, but even doom the Democrat Party.
