One day after the South Carolina primary, former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg announced the end of his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president. Tom Steyer, the billionaire also-ran, bowed out the same day. And Monday, Senator Amy Klobuchar quit the race and endorsed Joe Biden.
Its all very good news for Biden, who can expect to pick up much of Buttigieg and Klobuchar’s support.
Buttigieg Out
Buttigieg ran a strong campaign and surprised everyone when he vied for first place with Senator Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses. He surprised again in New Hampshire, placing second to Sanders. But his momentum didn’t last. Buttigieg came in a distant third in the Nevada caucus, and fourth behind billionaire Tom Steyer in the South Carolina primary. Buttigieg wasn’t polling well with black voters, and he was not expected to do well in South Carolina.
Buttigieg’s candidacy drew its share of controversy, especially about racial issues while he was mayor of South Bend. He was also targeted by his fellow candidates for working for Wall Street and receiving funding from billionaires. Remember the “wine cave” flap that Elizabeth Warren brought up at one of the numerous debates?
During Buttigieg’s campaign, some noticed Buttigieg emulating former President Obama.
This is the most damning commentary on Pete Buttigieg’s campaign you’ll see. The Democratic Party base has moved on from Obama. They don’t want more of these tired platitudes, they want a revolution. https://t.co/RYUHLx30Vn
— John Daniel Davidson (@johnddavidson) February 25, 2020
When Sanders became the frontrunner after the New Hampshire primary, Buttigieg started ringing alarm bells about what a Sanders nomination would mean for the Democrat party, pointing to Sanders’ socialism and his radical approach to health care. Buttigieg warned that America was not ready for a socialist, and now he is admitting that America is not ready for him either. At least he has another four years to perfect his impersonation of President Obama.
The invisible man
Tom Steyer, the nearly invisible billionaire, who seemed to be jumping up and down for attention in the debates, also ended his campaign on Sunday. After spending $24 million dollars on advertising in South Carolina hoping to win the state, he only placed third behind Sanders.
Joe Biden, as predicted, won South Carolina handily, almost 30 points higher than Sanders. Steyer just couldn’t generate enough interest in his campaign, and struggled to prove that he had something different to offer Democrat voters, but in the end, he was just another white male billionaire. Steyer left the race with zero delegates and a viral video of him dancing.
If you haven’t seen Steyer dancing yet, brace yourself:
The simulation is really starting to push the envelope here pic.twitter.com/mftudPy1Ru
— The Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) February 29, 2020
Klobuchar out
On Monday, Amy Klobuchar dropped out and threw her support to Joe Biden.
The Hill reports:
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) joined former Vice President Joe Biden on stage at a rally Monday evening in Texas to throw her support behind him for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Standing next to the former vice president, Klobuchar called for a return to “decency and dignity” in the White House.
“If we spend the next four months dividing our party and going at each other, we will spend the next four years watching Donald Trump tear apart this country,” Klobuchar said.
Buttigieg and Klobuchar are likely vying for cabinet positions and/or the vice-presidency. But others like Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg don’t have the time to wait their turn.
How many voters will they take from Biden and Bernie? That’s what we’ll find out next.