Biden Doomed Unless He Gets Blowout Tonight In South Carolina

For those who still haven’t called the patient known as Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, all hope now hinges on a win in South Carolina’s Saturday primary – and not just any win, but a blowout, according to The Hill.

“I think it has got to be at least 5 points. Ten points is optimum, and anything beyond 10 points would be extra,” said South Carolina politician Dick Harpootlian, a state senator who sits on the Biden campaign’s finance committee.

“Five to 10 points is enough of a win to show to the rest of the country,” he added. 

The margin of a Biden victory in South Carolina is far from an academic question. He needs a win that packs enough punch to reshape the national race.

A narrow victory for Biden in a state that has long been regarded as a stronghold would not be enough to throw national front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) off his current trajectory.

If, on the other hand, Biden were to win with a thumping majority, that would be a different story — one that would potentially revitalize his campaign and reestablish his primacy among several centrist candidates.

But Sanders has not given up hope of pulling a surprise. –The Hill

“I’m asking you to bring out your friends and co-workers and neighbors,” Sanders asked South Carolina supporters on Friday afternoon at an event featuring actor Danny Glover and rapper Killer Mike.

According to polls, Sanders needs all the help he can get in SC – trailing Biden betweeen 9% and  21% in Friday polls.

Biden, assuming he will win in SC, plans to remain the state for a victory rally, while Sanders will move on to Virginia.

As The Hill notes, “If Sanders did spring an upset win, it likely would end Biden’s White House hopes. The intensity of the Vermonter’s supporters is evident, and many of the people who attended his Friday rally had already been won over by his calls for sweeping reform of American society.”

Read the rest of the report here.