theguardian--2020-03-04--Biden sweeps with 'Joementum' – but Sanders shows he isn't done yet

Joe Biden has staged one of the greatest comebacks in modern political history to become the front runner of the Democratic presidential race after winning a majority of the crucial Super Tuesday primary elections .
A week ago the former vice-president , who first ran for the White House in 1988 , had never finished first in a state primary or caucus .
Now he has won 10 and is the favourite to clinch the Democratic nomination , setting up a battle with Donald Trump in November ’ s US election .
“ People are talking about a revolution .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in his victory speech in Los Angeles on Tuesday night , knocking one of his rival Bernie Sanders ’ signature lines .
The path forward , however , remains rocky and uneven , with Sanders determined to fight to the bitter end .
Democrats fear a replay of the bruising struggle between the Vermont senator and Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election .
But for now , Biden , 77 , has the most important political superpower : momentum ( or “ Joementum ” , as his campaign calls it ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Nevada left him looking out of sorts and out of cash , Biden bounced back last Saturday by winning South Carolina by nearly 30 percentage points , including 61 % of the black vote .
In a stroke , he had won the electability argument .
Moderate rivals quit the race and consolidated behind him .
Biden ’ s performance on Super Tuesday , when a third of Democratic delegates are decided , then surpassed even the most optimistic predictions .
He swept at least nine states , from Massachusetts in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the major prize of Texas , where Latino voters had been expected to tip the balance in Sanders ’ favour .
As a political miracle , it earned comparisons with Harry Truman ’ s election win in 1948 ( “ Dewey Defeats Truman , ” said an infamously preemptive newspaper headline ) and Bill Clinton ’ s “ comeback kid ” moment in 1992 .
“ I ’ m here to report : we are very much alive !
” the revivified Biden declared at a rally in Los Angeles , promising : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packing.
” It was a victory built on two pillars : the Democratic establishment unifying against the leftwing Sanders and support from nearly two-thirds of African American voters in the south .
Biden also benefited from suburban moderates who have been politically galvanised since Trump ’ s election and helped win the House of Representatives for Democrats in 2018 .
With the billionaire Mike Bloomberg withdrawing and endorsing Biden on Wednesday , the nomination is now his to lose .
And with states such as Arizona , Florida , Georgia , Mississippi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary race continues , the calendar works in his favour .
Bill Galston , a former policy adviser to Clinton , said : “ Nothing succeeds like success .
The scholars who ’ ve been talking about momentum being more important than organisation have got a new , very substantial piece of evidence on their side .
“ My best guess is Mr Biden will end the month with the most delegates .
If this turns out to be a war of attrition , he can win it.
” But four years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegate lead of more than 200 and still became mired in three months of trench warfare ; Biden ’ s lead will probably be closer to 60 .
And Sanders is nothing if not tenacious .
On Tuesday he won California , Colorado , Utah and his home state of Vermont , where he used a rally to draw sharp distinctions between himself and Biden .
“ You can not beat Trump with the same old , same old kind of politics , ” the 78-year-old democratic socialist declared , listing past policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade and the Iraq war .
“ This will become a contrast in ideas.
” On Wednesday , he launched three new TV adverts .
And he may yet get a boost from the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren , the third and last major candidate in the race , if she drops out and endorses him .
Biden ’ s candidacy has always faced the challenge of how to present him as a positive , motivating force , not merely a receptacle for anti-Sanders and anti-Trump sentiments .
He has begun to reassemble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not there yet : her numbers among African American voters were higher , while Sanders leads among Latinos , younger voters and a fiercely loyal progressive base for whom Biden represents the past , not the future .
But Galston , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington , said : “ Biden has found his voice .
He is making the most realistic appeal to improving the lives of the American people .
He can restore the standing of the United States in the world .
He can restore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He can begin to heal the nation .
It ’ s not a complicated message.
” In practical terms , how Biden should convey this message is less clear .
Super Tuesday upended many assumptions .
Biden had performed poorly in 10 televised debates yet appeared to pay no price .
He picked up five states where he did not even campaign .
In Virginia , Biden spent less than $ 200,000 compared to Bloomberg ’ s $ 12m , yet Biden won it by more than 25 percentage points .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will come under renewed scrutiny .
His long political career includes support for a 1994 crime law that critics say contributed to mass incarceration .
Several women have in the past accused him of inappropriate physical contact .
The Trump impeachment saga raised doubts in some minds about Biden ’ s son Hunter ’ s business dealings in Ukraine , though there was no evidence of wrongdoing .
He makes regular gaffes that Republicans and comedians ensure will go viral .
Biden ’ s ability to generate high turnout may set off alarm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US president will relish the prospect of a long , acrimonious battle between Biden and Sanders that could go all the way to a contested convention in July .
The former vice-president ’ s biggest challenge may not be so much winning the nomination as unifying a restive party .

Joe Biden has staged one of the greatest comebacks in modern political history to become the front runner of the Democratic presidential race after winning a majority of the crucial Super Tuesday primary elections.
A week ago the former vice-president, who first ran for the White House in 1988, had never finished first in a state primary or caucus. Now he has won 10 and is the favourite to clinch the Democratic nomination, setting up a battle with Donald Trump in November’s US election.
“People are talking about a revolution. We started a movement,” Biden said in his victory speech in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, knocking one of his rival Bernie Sanders’ signature lines.
The path forward, however, remains rocky and uneven, with Sanders determined to fight to the bitter end. Democrats fear a replay of the bruising struggle between the Vermont senator and Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
But for now, Biden, 77, has the most important political superpower: momentum (or “Joementum”, as his campaign calls it). After setbacks in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada left him looking out of sorts and out of cash, Biden bounced back last Saturday by winning South Carolina by nearly 30 percentage points, including 61% of the black vote.
In a stroke, he had won the electability argument. Moderate rivals quit the race and consolidated behind him. Biden’s performance on Super Tuesday, when a third of Democratic delegates are decided, then surpassed even the most optimistic predictions. He swept at least nine states, from Massachusetts in the north to Alabama in the south to the major prize of Texas, where Latino voters had been expected to tip the balance in Sanders’ favour.
As a political miracle, it earned comparisons with Harry Truman’s election win in 1948 (“Dewey Defeats Truman,” said an infamously preemptive newspaper headline) and Bill Clinton’s “comeback kid” moment in 1992. “I’m here to report: we are very much alive!” the revivified Biden declared at a rally in Los Angeles, promising: “This campaign will send Donald Trump packing.”
It was a victory built on two pillars: the Democratic establishment unifying against the leftwing Sanders and support from nearly two-thirds of African American voters in the south. Biden also benefited from suburban moderates who have been politically galvanised since Trump’s election and helped win the House of Representatives for Democrats in 2018.
With the billionaire Mike Bloomberg withdrawing and endorsing Biden on Wednesday, the nomination is now his to lose. And with states such as Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Ohio voting later in March as the primary race continues, the calendar works in his favour.
Bill Galston, a former policy adviser to Clinton, said: “Nothing succeeds like success. The scholars who’ve been talking about momentum being more important than organisation have got a new, very substantial piece of evidence on their side.
“My best guess is Mr Biden will end the month with the most delegates. If this turns out to be a war of attrition, he can win it.”
But four years ago Clinton emerged from Super Tuesday with a delegate lead of more than 200 and still became mired in three months of trench warfare; Biden’s lead will probably be closer to 60. And Sanders is nothing if not tenacious. On Tuesday he won California, Colorado, Utah and his home state of Vermont, where he used a rally to draw sharp distinctions between himself and Biden.
Supporters of Bernie Sanders cheer during a Super Tuesday election rally in Essex Junction, Vermont, on 3 March. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP
“You cannot beat Trump with the same old, same old kind of politics,” the 78-year-old democratic socialist declared, listing past policy differences with Biden on social security, trade and the Iraq war. “This will become a contrast in ideas.”
On Wednesday, he launched three new TV adverts. And he may yet get a boost from the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, the third and last major candidate in the race, if she drops out and endorses him.
Biden’s candidacy has always faced the challenge of how to present him as a positive, motivating force, not merely a receptacle for anti-Sanders and anti-Trump sentiments. He has begun to reassemble Clinton’s 2016 coalition but is not there yet: her numbers among African American voters were higher, while Sanders leads among Latinos, younger voters and a fiercely loyal progressive base for whom Biden represents the past, not the future.
But Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington, said: “Biden has found his voice. He is making the most realistic appeal to improving the lives of the American people. He can restore the standing of the United States in the world. He can restore honesty and dignity to the Oval Office. He can begin to heal the nation. It’s not a complicated message.”
In practical terms, how Biden should convey this message is less clear. Super Tuesday upended many assumptions. Biden had performed poorly in 10 televised debates yet appeared to pay no price. He picked up five states where he did not even campaign. In Virginia, Biden spent less than $200,000 compared to Bloomberg’s $12m, yet Biden won it by more than 25 percentage points.
Now the frontrunner, Biden’s liabilities will come under renewed scrutiny. His long political career includes support for a 1994 crime law that critics say contributed to mass incarceration. Several women have in the past accused him of inappropriate physical contact. The Trump impeachment saga raised doubts in some minds about Biden’s son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine, though there was no evidence of wrongdoing. He makes regular gaffes that Republicans and comedians ensure will go viral.
Biden’s ability to generate high turnout may set off alarm bells in Trump campaign headquarters. But the US president will relish the prospect of a long, acrimonious battle between Biden and Sanders that could go all the way to a contested convention in July. The former vice-president’s biggest challenge may not be so much winning the nomination as unifying a restive party.


theguardian--2020-03-04--'A chain reaction': how one endorsement set Joe Biden's surge in motion

When the House majority whip , Jim Clyburn , endorsed Joe Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary it effectively set off a series of events that resulted in the former vice-president trouncing his rivals in the Super Tuesday primary contests on Tuesday night .
Before Clyburn ’ s endorsement , Biden ’ s lead in South Carolina had shrunk to single digits .
It was an ominous sign for a candidate who underperformed in the first three Democratic primary contests and whose campaign stressed that South Carolina would serve as a firewall .
Biden ’ s ties to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the majority of Democratic voters , go back decades and the idea was that those relationships would carry him to victory in the state .
But then candidate Tom Steyer , a billionaire , was making an aggressive play to win over black voters in South Carolina .
And Bernie Sanders ’ aggressive campaign and grassroots supporters in the state were helping the Vermont senator make gains .
With just days to go before the 29 February primary , Clyburn hadn ’ t endorsed anyone and every candidate wanted it .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress and an influential figure in his home state of South Carolina .
Clyburn , before his eventual endorsement , conceded that Biden ’ s rivals were gaining ground .
“ These things usually tighten up when you get close to an election .
So , we don ’ t know .
We will find out in about 10 days , ” Clyburn said in an interview with CNN .
Then came the endorsement .
“ You can not overstate the impact of Clyburn on South Carolina Democratic politics , ” said Isaac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Forward Solution Strategy Group .
To be sure , Biden ’ s recent success was not singly due to one endorsement .
He had always polled ahead of the rest of the field in South Carolina and he had been methodically picking up endorsements there .
But Clyburn ’ s public backing helped cement Biden ’ s legitimacy among the Democratic electorate in the 2020 primary .
Following Biden ’ s decisive victory in South Carolina on Saturday , his main moderate rivals within the primary , the former South Bend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Klobuchar , quickly dropped out of the race and endorsed him .
Other endorsements , including the coveted backing of former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid , Barack Obama ’ s US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice and former candidate Beto O ’ Rourke , flooded in for Biden .
“ That substantive victory in South Carolina is what set off a chain reaction in the next few days – the Buttigieg endorsement , the Klobuchar endorsement and what amounts to all but a clean sweep on Super Tuesday , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few days before the election but Biden ’ s poll numbers had begun to tick up dramatically and he won the state by about 30 percentage points .
“ Black voters turned out and they had their voices heard and they are on the trajectory of propelling Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee .
Clyburn ’ s endorsement was part of a flood of good fortune for Biden , ” said Eric Goldman , a Democratic consultant .
Goldman noted though that Clyburn ’ s endorsement was just one part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ longstanding ” ties to the African American community .
That victory seems to have set off a domino effect of support among Democratic voters in southern states and minorities .
In the 14 primary contests on Tuesday , Biden won every southern state .
According to exit polling Biden ’ s victories in some of these key states were largely thanks to strong support among minority voters .
And on Wednesday , Biden ’ s remaining moderate rival in the primary , the former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg , dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday victories for Biden also elevated him back into frontrunner status .
He came away from Super Tuesday with more delegates than Sanders and the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren .
Biden ’ s turnaround , from a campaign on life support with no victories and dwindling cash to frontrunner , had happened in an eight-day period , with Clyburn ’ s endorsement marking the beginning of the dramatic change .
A day after Super Tuesday Clyburn , again speaking on CNN , admitted he was surprised with the extent of Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a bit surprised : it did go better than many of us expected , ” he said .

When the House majority whip, Jim Clyburn, endorsed Joe Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary it effectively set off a series of events that resulted in the former vice-president trouncing his rivals in the Super Tuesday primary contests on Tuesday night.
Before Clyburn’s endorsement, Biden’s lead in South Carolina had shrunk to single digits. It was an ominous sign for a candidate who underperformed in the first three Democratic primary contests and whose campaign stressed that South Carolina would serve as a firewall.
Biden’s ties to the African American community there, who make up the majority of Democratic voters, go back decades and the idea was that those relationships would carry him to victory in the state.
But then candidate Tom Steyer, a billionaire, was making an aggressive play to win over black voters in South Carolina. And Bernie Sanders’ aggressive campaign and grassroots supporters in the state were helping the Vermont senator make gains.
With just days to go before the 29 February primary, Clyburn hadn’t endorsed anyone and every candidate wanted it. He is the highest-ranking African American Democrat in Congress and an influential figure in his home state of South Carolina.
Clyburn, before his eventual endorsement, conceded that Biden’s rivals were gaining ground.
“These things usually tighten up when you get close to an election. So, we don’t know. We will find out in about 10 days,” Clyburn said in an interview with CNN.
Then came the endorsement.
“You cannot overstate the impact of Clyburn on South Carolina Democratic politics,” said Isaac Wright, a Democratic strategist and partner at the Forward Solution Strategy Group.
To be sure, Biden’s recent success was not singly due to one endorsement. He had always polled ahead of the rest of the field in South Carolina and he had been methodically picking up endorsements there. But Clyburn’s public backing helped cement Biden’s legitimacy among the Democratic electorate in the 2020 primary.
Following Biden’s decisive victory in South Carolina on Saturday, his main moderate rivals within the primary, the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg and the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, quickly dropped out of the race and endorsed him. Other endorsements, including the coveted backing of former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, Barack Obama’s US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice and former candidate Beto O’Rourke, flooded in for Biden.
“That substantive victory in South Carolina is what set off a chain reaction in the next few days – the Buttigieg endorsement, the Klobuchar endorsement and what amounts to all but a clean sweep on Super Tuesday,” Wright added.
The endorsement came just a few days before the election but Biden’s poll numbers had begun to tick up dramatically and he won the state by about 30 percentage points.
“Black voters turned out and they had their voices heard and they are on the trajectory of propelling Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee. Clyburn’s endorsement was part of a flood of good fortune for Biden,” said Eric Goldman, a Democratic consultant.
Goldman noted though that Clyburn’s endorsement was just one part of the turnaround. Goldman stressed Biden’s “longstanding” ties to the African American community.
That victory seems to have set off a domino effect of support among Democratic voters in southern states and minorities. In the 14 primary contests on Tuesday, Biden won every southern state. According to exit polling Biden’s victories in some of these key states were largely thanks to strong support among minority voters.
And on Wednesday, Biden’s remaining moderate rival in the primary, the former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, dropped out and endorsed him.
The Super Tuesday victories for Biden also elevated him back into frontrunner status. He came away from Super Tuesday with more delegates than Sanders and the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren.
Biden’s turnaround, from a campaign on life support with no victories and dwindling cash to frontrunner, had happened in an eight-day period, with Clyburn’s endorsement marking the beginning of the dramatic change.
A day after Super Tuesday Clyburn, again speaking on CNN, admitted he was surprised with the extent of Biden’s victories the night before.
“I was a bit surprised: it did go better than many of us expected,” he said.


theguardian--2020-03-04--Joe Biden saw a stunning Super Tuesday surge, while Bernie Sanders hit a brick wall | Rachel Bitecof

Joe Biden saw a stunning Super Tuesday surge, while Bernie Sanders hit a brick wall | Rachel Bitecofer

With Virginia called for Biden right when polls closed at 7pm it was clear that Super Tuesday was going to play out a lot differently than it was expected to .
Building on momentum from his landslide victory in the South Carolina primary , Biden dominated the Super Tuesday states .
Biden is thus far winning 9 of the 11 called contests and is competitive to win the remaining three states .
This strong performance was a sharp contrast to expectations which , even after revisions to be more favorable to Joe Biden post-South Carolina , still predicted Sanders would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contests and come away with a delegate lead , perhaps even a significant one .
Instead , even with more than a million ballots still outstanding in the California primary , it is Biden , not Sanders who holds the delegate lead , and with it , a possible lock on a nomination that less than two weeks ago provoked a flurry of columns about brokered conventions .
So , what happened to so dramatically alter the contours of the race and make Biden , not Sanders the frontrunner and quite possibly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , much attention will be given to the decisions of fellow moderates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar to withdraw from the race the night before the Super Tuesday contests and endorse Joe Biden with the hopes that in so doing , they could help steer the party ’ s nomination away from Bernie Sanders , who many in the party openly worried threatened the Democrats ’ ability to beat Donald Trump in the fall as well as down-ticket races for the Senate , House , and a host of state legislative seats .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ even in the spectacular fashion it played out on Monday night in Dallas , Texas , likely has less to do with the results than the fact that Sanders ’ candidacy ultimately hit the same demographic brick wall it hit in its 2016 iteration .
The Sanders campaign always understood that in order to actually win the Democratic party ’ s nomination , the senator needed to dramatically improve upon his share of black voters from the 2016 cycle .
Black voters are the kingmakers of the Democratic primary process – win them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party ’ s nominee even if you struggle in the party ’ s first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire as the contest moves into delegate-rich South Carolina .
But fail to win them over and even promising starts like Pete Buttigieg ’ s upstart Iowa caucus win is guaranteed to sputter out .
The Sanders campaign had hoped that gains among black voters under age 40 would be enough to offset continued reticence among older black voters , but even when younger voters are more engaged than normal , voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up disproportionately of older voters .
Sanders ’ only pathway to the nomination absolutely required the senator win over older voters of color , and on Tuesday these voters , along with suburban voters of all colors , soundly rejected Sanders ’ revolution in favor of Biden ’ s pragmatism .
Had Sanders ’ revolution been more digestible , and not saddled with the democratic-socialist label , it may have fared better .
Instead , it provoked outright panic throughout the Democratic party , and not just within the party ’ s so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinated winnowing and endorsement effort was clearly organized by party elites , the rejection of Sanders ’ candidacy came at the hands of rank-and-file Democratic voters , who turned out en masse on Tuesday to blunt his path to the party ’ s nomination .
Though it ’ s true that Biden dominated among moderates , he also performed well among liberals , earning the plurality of this group as well while Sanders only dominated among those who described their ideology as “ very ” liberal .
Biden also dominated among late-deciding voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominant South Carolina win .
What makes Tuesday ’ s results most stunning , is the fact that Biden won many of these states without any campaign spending , something we ’ ve never seen in a competitive primary before .
The cash-strapped Biden operation staggered into South Carolina on life support and had no time to transition their victory there three days prior into investment in the Super Tuesday contests , where his closest ideological rival had invested more than a half billion dollars .
Starting on 10 March the calendar moves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not less .
The inclusion of states Sanders carried in 2016 , such as Oklahoma and Minnesota , into Biden ’ s win column Tuesday suggests Sanders will likely underperform the 2016 cycle , where he carried an impressive 23 states .
Should Mike Bloomberg withdraw from the race , even the winnowing of Elizabeth Warren will likely not be enough to re-tilt the race in Senator Sanders ’ favor .
If Biden does secure a majority of delegates , it will be under a rules system designed in part by Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party elites via super delegates , a major criticism of the Sanders ’ team from their 2016 loss .
• None Rachel Bitecofer is an election forecaster & analyst and a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center in Washington DC

With Virginia called for Biden right when polls closed at 7pm it was clear that Super Tuesday was going to play out a lot differently than it was expected to. Building on momentum from his landslide victory in the South Carolina primary, Biden dominated the Super Tuesday states. Biden is thus far winning 9 of the 11 called contests and is competitive to win the remaining three states. This strong performance was a sharp contrast to expectations which, even after revisions to be more favorable to Joe Biden post-South Carolina, still predicted Sanders would win most of the night’s contests and come away with a delegate lead, perhaps even a significant one. Instead, even with more than a million ballots still outstanding in the California primary, it is Biden, not Sanders who holds the delegate lead, and with it, a possible lock on a nomination that less than two weeks ago provoked a flurry of columns about brokered conventions.
So, what happened to so dramatically alter the contours of the race and make Biden, not Sanders the frontrunner and quite possibly, the presumptive nominee? To be sure, much attention will be given to the decisions of fellow moderates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar to withdraw from the race the night before the Super Tuesday contests and endorse Joe Biden with the hopes that in so doing, they could help steer the party’s nomination away from Bernie Sanders, who many in the party openly worried threatened the Democrats’ ability to beat Donald Trump in the fall as well as down-ticket races for the Senate, House, and a host of state legislative seats. But the winnowing of the field, even in the spectacular fashion it played out on Monday night in Dallas, Texas, likely has less to do with the results than the fact that Sanders’ candidacy ultimately hit the same demographic brick wall it hit in its 2016 iteration.
The Sanders campaign always understood that in order to actually win the Democratic party’s nomination, the senator needed to dramatically improve upon his share of black voters from the 2016 cycle. Black voters are the kingmakers of the Democratic primary process – win them over and you will most likely be the party’s nominee even if you struggle in the party’s first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire as the contest moves into delegate-rich South Carolina. But fail to win them over and even promising starts like Pete Buttigieg’s upstart Iowa caucus win is guaranteed to sputter out. The Sanders campaign had hoped that gains among black voters under age 40 would be enough to offset continued reticence among older black voters, but even when younger voters are more engaged than normal, voter turnout models are heavily lopsided, made up disproportionately of older voters. Sanders’ only pathway to the nomination absolutely required the senator win over older voters of color, and on Tuesday these voters, along with suburban voters of all colors, soundly rejected Sanders’ revolution in favor of Biden’s pragmatism.
Had Sanders’ revolution been more digestible, and not saddled with the democratic-socialist label, it may have fared better. Instead, it provoked outright panic throughout the Democratic party, and not just within the party’s so-called establishment. Although Monday night’s coordinated winnowing and endorsement effort was clearly organized by party elites, the rejection of Sanders’ candidacy came at the hands of rank-and-file Democratic voters, who turned out en masse on Tuesday to blunt his path to the party’s nomination. Though it’s true that Biden dominated among moderates, he also performed well among liberals, earning the plurality of this group as well while Sanders only dominated among those who described their ideology as “very” liberal. Biden also dominated among late-deciding voters, capitalizing on natural momentum from his dominant South Carolina win.
What makes Tuesday’s results most stunning, is the fact that Biden won many of these states without any campaign spending, something we’ve never seen in a competitive primary before. The cash-strapped Biden operation staggered into South Carolina on life support and had no time to transition their victory there three days prior into investment in the Super Tuesday contests, where his closest ideological rival had invested more than a half billion dollars.
Starting on 10 March the calendar moves into states ostensibly more friendly for Biden, not less. The inclusion of states Sanders carried in 2016, such as Oklahoma and Minnesota, into Biden’s win column Tuesday suggests Sanders will likely underperform the 2016 cycle, where he carried an impressive 23 states. Should Mike Bloomberg withdraw from the race, even the winnowing of Elizabeth Warren will likely not be enough to re-tilt the race in Senator Sanders’ favor.
If Biden does secure a majority of delegates, it will be under a rules system designed in part by Bernie Sanders and absent the direct influence of party elites via super delegates, a major criticism of the Sanders’ team from their 2016 loss.


theguardian--2020-03-04--What to make of the Super Tuesday results? Our panelists' verdict

Lloyd Green : ‘ It ’ s a two-person race from here on out ’ On Super Tuesday , Joe Biden demolished expectations .
Biden scored a blowout in the south , fought Bernie Sanders to at least a draw in Texas , and garnered delegates in California .
He even won in Massachusetts , Elizabeth Warren ’ s home state , without campaigning there .
Biden ’ s strength was not limited to a single region .
The former vice-president also re-forged the coalition that propelled the Democrats to their victory in the 2018 midterms , with African Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core of his support .
Donald Trump continues to galvanize turnout .
Some things don ’ t change .
Sanders ’ attempt at revolution hit a ceiling .
Still , Biden would be ill-advised to ignore the Vermont senator ’ s demonstrable strength with Latino voters .
Looking back , South Carolina was a harbinger of what came next .
Representative James Clyburn ’ s endorsement made a real difference .
For Biden , 48 hours proved to be a lifetime and a lifeline .
In the end , momentum trumped money .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reassessing his campaign .
All those hundreds of millions of dollars were spent for a win in American Samoa .
It will be days before the delegate count is final .
The upcoming debate on 15 March will be crucial .
Practically speaking , it ’ s a two-person race from here on out .
• None Lloyd Green was opposition research counsel to George HW Bush ’ s 1988 campaign and served in the Department of Justice from 1990 to 1992 Art Cullen : ‘ Democrats are not itching for a revolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American voters after Joe Biden ’ s blowout win on Saturday in South Carolina washed across America on Super Tuesday and lifted the former vice-president to the fore .
Biden ’ s dominant victories in Virginia and North Carolina demonstrated his ability to build a coalition among minority , suburban and working-class voters essential to defeating Donald Trump in November .
Biden contested Bernie Sanders in Maine and captured Massachusetts after Sanders placed a big bet in Elizabeth Warren ’ s home state .
Democratic voters are not itching for a revolution so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and restore some dignity to the presidency .
It did not appear that Sanders would clean up in California as earlier polls suggested .
Biden was running in a dead heat with Sanders in Texas – unfathomable just a week ago , with little money or organization .
What could Warren know that keeps her running ?
Bloomberg ’ s reason for running has evaporated with Biden ’ s stunning revival .
The candidate Trump fears most – Joe Biden – is capturing the support of Democrats desperate for a winner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa , where he won the Pulitzer prize for editorial writing .
He is a Guardian US columnist and author of the book Storm Lake : Change , Resilience and Hope in America ’ s Heartland After capturing nearly 60 % of the black vote on Super Tuesday , Joe Biden swept southern states and won the overall delegate count .
The drama of Sanders overtaking him in recent months died down entirely , as Biden performed almost exactly as polls predicted about a year ago when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ striking aspect of his success is how little it seemed to rely on any particular strengths of his own candidacy , and that raises questions about how less established candidates compete at all in future Democratic primaries .
There was no impressive ground game : for over a month , Biden did not campaign in Super Tuesday states at all .
Voters in South Carolina , who ushered in his subsequent wave of endorsements , chose him , despite saying they prioritized climate change , Medicare for All and reducing income inequality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The full consequences of having a Democratic frontrunner who leads a race with no clear merit of his own , beyond simply getting the right endorsements at the right time , are yet to be seen .
But what remains clear is that black voters – who have myriad reasons for supporting Biden – will continue to tip the scale in Democratic races .
And no candidate can afford to ignore them .
• None Malaika Jabali is an attorney , activist and writer Super Tuesday was a big night for Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support from black voters , which fueled his South Carolina victory , was also evident in other southern states such as Virginia , North Carolina , and Tennessee and strongest of all in Alabama , where he achieved over 70 % of the black vote .
However , what was more surprising were his victories in some states that were previously thought to be more favorable to Bernie Sanders .
This highlights what may turn out to be the greatest irony of this presidential primary season .
Although the original premise of Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with white voters made him electable , that strength did not demonstrate itself until after black voters gave him overwhelming support .
All of a sudden white New England voters who showed no love for Biden two weeks ago in New Hampshire somehow decided to provide him with strong showings in Maine and Massachusetts .
Meanwhile , Elizabeth Warren continues to struggle against the reality that while many voters like and support her policy positions , not enough of these voters are willing to elect a woman to be president ( in spite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did vote to elect a woman to be president four years ago ) .
Nevertheless , while Warren ’ s success in the Nevada debate has not significantly changed her vote tallies , Super Tuesday provided evidence that her stop and frisking of Mike Bloomberg in the two most recent debates definitely helped slow his momentum and likely helped Biden .
Two major questions remain .
First , as California results trickle in , how large will Sanders ’ delegate lead be , and will it be enough to survive a remaining calendar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the calls for Warren and Bloomberg to drop out of the race are likely to increase , will either of them agree to do so ?
Or will each continue to hang in , perhaps working off the assumption that the two frontrunners have weaknesses that could resurface and reverse the momentum that each has experienced ?
Time will tell .
Benjamin Dixon : ‘ Let ’ s be clear about the risks Biden poses ’ On Tuesday night , southern states that will inevitably go to Donald Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and older African Americans to help secure the nomination for a man who just confused his wife for his sister on national TV .
The consolidation of the moderate faction of the Democratic party was a masterstroke of political genius that nearly made Joe Biden unstoppable .
If it weren ’ t for Sanders ’ convincing victory in California and a close race in Texas the narrative around Biden would have shifted to “ inevitability ” .
And while we have tiptoed around Biden ’ s ailing cognitive faculties , the remaining voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might saddle us with : Biden will face a Republican opponent who will unashamedly call him a racist because of the 1994 crime bill .
Will it be hypocritical ?
Yes .
But will that stop Trump from claiming it , stop his audience from echoing it , or stop it from depressing turnout enough for a Trump victory ?
No .
All of these things come with Biden .
Joe Biden will face a campaign that has all of the advantages of incumbency , the bully pulpit , and the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden ’ s dealings with Burisma .
Will it be in good faith ?
Absolutely not .
But will it stop Trump from using it to depress Democratic turnout ?
Not at all .
Finally , Joe Biden will face himself .
Will he be able to withstand the onslaught of Donald Trump during a debate ?
Sure , Trump isn ’ t as sharp as he used to be .
But I would offer to you that it will be far more easy for Donald Trump to remember his bigotry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivate his base than it will be for Joe Biden to remember which woman is his sister and which woman is his wife .
• None Benjamin Dixon is the host of The Benjamin Dixon Show

Lloyd Green, Art Cullen, Malaika Jabali, Cliff Albright and Benjamin Dixon

Lloyd Green: ‘It’s a two-person race from here on out’
On Super Tuesday, Joe Biden demolished expectations. Biden scored a blowout in the south, fought Bernie Sanders to at least a draw in Texas, and garnered delegates in California. He even won in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren’s home state, without campaigning there. Biden’s strength was not limited to a single region.
The former vice-president also re-forged the coalition that propelled the Democrats to their victory in the 2018 midterms, with African Americans, women and suburbanites emerging as the core of his support. Donald Trump continues to galvanize turnout. Some things don’t change.
Sanders’ attempt at revolution hit a ceiling. Still, Biden would be ill-advised to ignore the Vermont senator’s demonstrable strength with Latino voters.
Looking back, South Carolina was a harbinger of what came next. Representative James Clyburn’s endorsement made a real difference. For Biden, 48 hours proved to be a lifetime and a lifeline. In the end, momentum trumped money.
According to reports, Mike Bloomberg is reassessing his campaign. All those hundreds of millions of dollars were spent for a win in American Samoa.
It will be days before the delegate count is final. The upcoming debate on 15 March will be crucial. Practically speaking, it’s a two-person race from here on out.
Lloyd Green was opposition research counsel to George HW Bush’s 1988 campaign and served in the Department of Justice from 1990 to 1992
Art Cullen: ‘Democrats are not itching for a revolution’
A surge of support from African American voters after Joe Biden’s blowout win on Saturday in South Carolina washed across America on Super Tuesday and lifted the former vice-president to the fore. Biden’s dominant victories in Virginia and North Carolina demonstrated his ability to build a coalition among minority, suburban and working-class voters essential to defeating Donald Trump in November.
Biden contested Bernie Sanders in Maine and captured Massachusetts after Sanders placed a big bet in Elizabeth Warren’s home state. Democratic voters are not itching for a revolution so much as they just want to beat Trump and restore some dignity to the presidency. It did not appear that Sanders would clean up in California as earlier polls suggested. Biden was running in a dead heat with Sanders in Texas – unfathomable just a week ago, with little money or organization.
What could Warren know that keeps her running? Bloomberg’s reason for running has evaporated with Biden’s stunning revival. The candidate Trump fears most – Joe Biden – is capturing the support of Democrats desperate for a winner.
Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa, where he won the Pulitzer prize for editorial writing. He is a Guardian US columnist and author of the book Storm Lake: Change, Resilience and Hope in America’s Heartland
Malaika Jabali: ‘Joe Biden won, despite few obvious merits’
After capturing nearly 60% of the black vote on Super Tuesday, Joe Biden swept southern states and won the overall delegate count. The drama of Sanders overtaking him in recent months died down entirely, as Biden performed almost exactly as polls predicted about a year ago when he entered the race.
The most striking aspect of his success is how little it seemed to rely on any particular strengths of his own candidacy, and that raises questions about how less established candidates compete at all in future Democratic primaries. There was no impressive ground game: for over a month, Biden did not campaign in Super Tuesday states at all. Voters in South Carolina, who ushered in his subsequent wave of endorsements, chose him, despite saying they prioritized climate change, Medicare for All and reducing income inequality, which Biden has not campaigned on whatsoever.
The full consequences of having a Democratic frontrunner who leads a race with no clear merit of his own, beyond simply getting the right endorsements at the right time, are yet to be seen. But what remains clear is that black voters – who have myriad reasons for supporting Biden – will continue to tip the scale in Democratic races. And no candidate can afford to ignore them.
Malaika Jabali is an attorney, activist and writer
Cliff Albright: ‘Black voters boosted Biden with white voters’
Super Tuesday was a big night for Joe Biden as he exceeded expectations. His support from black voters, which fueled his South Carolina victory, was also evident in other southern states such as Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee and strongest of all in Alabama, where he achieved over 70% of the black vote.
However, what was more surprising were his victories in some states that were previously thought to be more favorable to Bernie Sanders. This highlights what may turn out to be the greatest irony of this presidential primary season. Although the original premise of Biden’s campaign was that his strength with white voters made him electable, that strength did not demonstrate itself until after black voters gave him overwhelming support. All of a sudden white New England voters who showed no love for Biden two weeks ago in New Hampshire somehow decided to provide him with strong showings in Maine and Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren continues to struggle against the reality that while many voters like and support her policy positions, not enough of these voters are willing to elect a woman to be president (in spite of the fact that the country essentially did vote to elect a woman to be president four years ago). Nevertheless, while Warren’s success in the Nevada debate has not significantly changed her vote tallies, Super Tuesday provided evidence that her stop and frisking of Mike Bloomberg in the two most recent debates definitely helped slow his momentum and likely helped Biden.
Two major questions remain. First, as California results trickle in, how large will Sanders’ delegate lead be, and will it be enough to survive a remaining calendar that many feel favors Biden? Second, as the calls for Warren and Bloomberg to drop out of the race are likely to increase, will either of them agree to do so? Or will each continue to hang in, perhaps working off the assumption that the two frontrunners have weaknesses that could resurface and reverse the momentum that each has experienced? Time will tell.
Cliff Albright is a co-founder of Black Voters Matter Fund
Benjamin Dixon: ‘Let’s be clear about the risks Biden poses’
On Tuesday night, southern states that will inevitably go to Donald Trump in the general election joined forces with centrist Democrats and older African Americans to help secure the nomination for a man who just confused his wife for his sister on national TV.
The consolidation of the moderate faction of the Democratic party was a masterstroke of political genius that nearly made Joe Biden unstoppable. If it weren’t for Sanders’ convincing victory in California and a close race in Texas the narrative around Biden would have shifted to “inevitability”.
01:58 Protesters rush stage as Joe Biden makes Super Tuesday speech – video
And while we have tiptoed around Biden’s ailing cognitive faculties, the remaining voters need to understand fully what Super Tuesday might saddle us with:
Biden will face a Republican opponent who will unashamedly call him a racist because of the 1994 crime bill. Will it be hypocritical? Yes. But will that stop Trump from claiming it, stop his audience from echoing it, or stop it from depressing turnout enough for a Trump victory? No. All of these things come with Biden.
Joe Biden will face a campaign that has all of the advantages of incumbency, the bully pulpit, and the ability to set the national conversation around Ukraine and Hunter Biden’s dealings with Burisma. Will it be in good faith? Absolutely not. But will it stop Trump from using it to depress Democratic turnout? Not at all.
Finally, Joe Biden will face himself. Will he be able to withstand the onslaught of Donald Trump during a debate? Sure, Trump isn’t as sharp as he used to be. But I would offer to you that it will be far more easy for Donald Trump to remember his bigotry and hatred and deliver the lines that will motivate his base than it will be for Joe Biden to remember which woman is his sister and which woman is his wife.


theguardian--2020-03-04--Mike Bloomberg endorses Joe Biden in bid to 'defeat Donald Trump' – video

The former New York mayor has endorsed Joe Biden after suspending his 2020 Democratic presidential campaign .
Addressing his supporters @ @ @ @ @ he got into the race ‘ to defeat Donald Trump ’ and was leaving for @ @ @ @ @ added : ‘ I ’ ve always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting @ @ @ @ @ best shot to do it .
It is clear that candidate is my friend and @ @ @ @ @ ’

The former New York mayor has endorsed Joe Biden after suspending his 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. Addressing his supporters, the billionaire candidate said he got into the race ‘to defeat Donald Trump’ and was leaving for the same reason.
Bloomberg added: ‘I’ve always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. It is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American Joe Biden’


theguardian--2020-03-04--Mike Bloomberg: four issues that hindered his presidential hopes – video

The billionaire Mike Bloomberg has suspended his Democratic presidential campaign after launching one of the most audacious political campaigns in @ @ @ @ @ half a billion dollars of his vast fortune into creating the most expensive nomination bid @ @ @ @ @ former mayor of New York has come under intense scrutiny and failed to seize the @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden : here 's a look at the key issues that hurt his race @ @ @ @ @ Mike Bloomberg quits 2020 race after spending more than $ 500m

Elena Morresi, Nikhita Chulani and Katie Lamborn

The billionaire Mike Bloomberg has suspended his Democratic presidential campaign after launching one of the most audacious political campaigns in modern times – pouring almost half a billion dollars of his vast fortune into creating the most expensive nomination bid in US history. The former mayor of New York has come under intense scrutiny and failed to seize the moderate lane from his rival Joe Biden: here's a look at the key issues that hurt his race to the White House


theguardian--2020-03-05--Senior ICC judges authorise Afghanistan war crimes inquiry

Senior judges at the international criminal court have authorised an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan , overturning an earlier rejection of the inquiry .
The ICC investigation will look at actions by US , Afghan and Taliban troops .
It is possible , however , that allegations relating to UK troops could emerge in that process .
The ruling by the ICC ’ s appeals chamber in The Hague is likely to infuriate the Trump administration , which has condemned the request from the court ’ s chief prosecutor , Fatou Bensouda , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan .
Last year the ICC rejected the request and said any investigation and prosecution was unlikely to be successful because the expectation was that those targeted , including the US , Afghan authorities and the Taliban , would not cooperate .
The US secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , said at the time that Washington would revoke or deny visas to ICC staff seeking to investigate alleged war crimes and other abuses committed by US forces in Afghanistan or elsewhere .
Bensouda later confirmed that her US visa had been revoked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals chamber said the lower court had misinterpreted some of the court ’ s rules , and it declared that the investigation should be allowed to go ahead .
It also approved that the scope of the investigation should include CIA black sites operated in Poland , Lithuania , and Romania , where detainees were taken .
Jamil Dakwar , director of the American Civil Liberties Union ’ s human rights programme , said : “ This decision vindicates the rule of law and gives hope to the thousands of victims seeking accountability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
“ While the road ahead is still long and bumpy , this decision is a significant milestone that bolsters the ICC ’ s independence in the face of the Trump administration ’ s bullying tactics.
” Reading out the decision , the chair of the appeals tribunal , Piotr Hofmański , said : “ The prosecutor is authorised to commence investigation in relation to events dating back to 2003 as well as other alleged crimes [ related to ] Afghanistan.
” Hofmanski said Bensouda should not limit her investigation to preliminary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecution ’ s truth-seeking function ” .
Both Afghanistan and the US have opposed the investigation .
The US government refuses to cooperate with the global court .
Bensouda asked judges in November 2017 to authorise a full-scale investigation following a preliminary investigation that lasted more than a decade .
She has said there is information that members of the US military and intelligence agencies committed acts of torture , cruel treatment , outrages upon personal dignity , rape and sexual violence against conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan and other locations , principally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She has also said the Taliban and other insurgent groups have killed more than 17,000 Afghan civilians since 2009 and that Afghan security forces are suspected of torturing prisoners at government detention centres .
Preetha Gopalan , the deputy head of UK litigation at the human rights organisation Reprieve , said : “ This decision is welcome news to everyone who believes that the perpetrators of war crimes should not enjoy impunity , no matter how powerful they are .
“ This is the first time the US will be held to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it tried to bully the ICC into shutting this investigation down .
That the ICC did not bow to that pressure , and instead upheld victims ’ right to accountability , gives us hope that no one is beyond the reach of justice.
” Ahmed Rabbani , a Pakistani taxi driver who was rendered to Afghanistan and tortured for 540 days by US personnel , was among the victims who supported the appeal .
He has been held in Guantánamo since 2004 without charge or trial .
In a statement released through Reprieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who tortured me are investigated and prosecuted , I will be very happy .
I would ask just one thing from them : an apology .
If they are willing to compensate me with $ 1m for each year I have spent here , that will not be enough .
I am still going through suffering and torture at present .
But I would be happy with just three words : ‘ We are sorry.
’ ” The decision last year to halt the investigation provoked dismay among international human rights organisations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in to bullying by the Trump administration .
One line of investigation the ICC prosecutors were following involved the CIA ’ s alleged mistreatment of detainees .
Nikki Reisch , Counsel for the global justice clinic at NYU School of Law , said : “ On behalf of our client , Mohammed al-Asad and his surviving family , we applaud the [ ICC ] Appeals Chamber for rejecting the repugnant logic of the US torture programme , which sought to place detainees in a legal black hole and deny them access to justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when authoritarian tendencies are on the rise , the decision sends an important signal to all states that might does not make right , and that no one is above the law.
” Katherine Gallagher , of the Center for Constitutional Rights , said : “ Today , the International Criminal Court breathed new life into the mantra that ‘ no one is above the law ’ and restored some hope that justice can be available – and applied -to all .
For more than 15 years , like too many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sharqawi Al-Hajj and Guled Duran have suffered physically and mentally in unlawful US detention , while former senior US officials have enjoyed impunity .
“ In authorising this critical and much-delayed investigation into crimes in and related to Afghanistan , the Court made clear that political interference in judicial proceedings will not be tolerated.
” The ICC , which began operations in The Hague in 2002 , is a court of last resort for war crimes , genocide and crimes against humanity allegedly committed by nationals of a signatory state or that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of its member states .

Owen Bowcott Legal affairs correspondent

Senior judges at the international criminal court have authorised an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, overturning an earlier rejection of the inquiry.
The ICC investigation will look at actions by US, Afghan and Taliban troops. It is possible, however, that allegations relating to UK troops could emerge in that process.
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, on Thursday attacked the ruling by the ICC’s appeals chamber as “reckless” and said it would outline measures in the coming weeks to prevent US citizens being brought before the court.
“This is a truly breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution masquerading as a legal body,” Pompeo told a news conference following the ruling.
“All the more reckless for this ruling to come just days after the United States signed a historic peace deal on Afghanistan, which is the best chance for peace in a generation.”
The ICC judges also approved that the scope of the investigation should include CIA black sites operated in Poland, Lithuania, and Romania, where detainees were taken.
The court had last year rejected the request to open an investigation and said any prosecution was unlikely to be successful because the expectation was that those targeted, including the US, Afghan authorities and the Taliban, would not cooperate.
Pompeo said at the time that Washington would revoke or deny visas to ICC staff seeking to investigate alleged war crimes and other abuses committed by US forces in Afghanistan or elsewhere. The court’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, later confirmed that her US visa had been revoked.
But on Thursday the ICC’s appeals chamber said the lower court had misinterpreted some of the court’s rules, and it declared that the investigation should be allowed to go ahead.
Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s human rights programme, said: “This decision vindicates the rule of law and gives hope to the thousands of victims seeking accountability when domestic courts and authorities have failed them.
“While the road ahead is still long and bumpy, this decision is a significant milestone that bolsters the ICC’s independence in the face of the Trump administration’s bullying tactics.”
Reading out the decision, the chair of the appeals tribunal, Piotr Hofmański, said: “The prosecutor is authorised to commence investigation in relation to events dating back to 2003 as well as other alleged crimes [related to] Afghanistan.”
Bensouda has said there is information that members of the US military and intelligence agencies committed acts of torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape and sexual violence against conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan and other locations, principally in the early years of the conflict.
She has also said the Taliban and other insurgent groups have killed more than 17,000 Afghan civilians since 2009 and that Afghan security forces are suspected of torturing prisoners at government detention centres.
Preetha Gopalan, the deputy head of UK litigation at the human rights organisation Reprieve, said: “This decision is welcome news to everyone who believes that the perpetrators of war crimes should not enjoy impunity, no matter how powerful they are.
“This is the first time the US will be held to account for its actions, even though it tried to bully the ICC into shutting this investigation down. That the ICC did not bow to that pressure, and instead upheld victims’ right to accountability, gives us hope that no one is beyond the reach of justice.”
Ahmed Rabbani, a Pakistani taxi driver who was rendered to Afghanistan and tortured for 540 days by US personnel, was among the victims who supported the appeal. He has been held in Guantánamo since 2004 without charge or trial.
In a statement released through Reprieve, he said: “If the people who tortured me are investigated and prosecuted, I will be very happy. I would ask just one thing from them: an apology. If they are willing to compensate me with $1m for each year I have spent here, that will not be enough. I am still going through suffering and torture at present. But I would be happy with just three words: ‘We are sorry.’”
The decision last year to halt the investigation provoked dismay among international human rights organisations and allegations that the ICC had caved in to bullying by the Trump administration.
One line of investigation the ICC prosecutors were following involved the CIA’s alleged mistreatment of detainees.
Nikki Reisch, Counsel for the global justice clinic at NYU School of Law, said: “On behalf of our client, Mohammed al-Asad and his surviving family, we applaud the [ICC] Appeals Chamber for rejecting the repugnant logic of the US torture programme, which sought to place detainees in a legal black hole and deny them access to justice for the abuses they suffered. At a time when authoritarian tendencies are on the rise, the decision sends an important signal to all states that might does not make right, and that no one is above the law.”
Katherine Gallagher, of the Center for Constitutional Rights, said: “Today, the International Criminal Court breathed new life into the mantra that ‘no one is above the law’ and restored some hope that justice can be available – and applied -to all. For more than 15 years, like too many other victims of the US torture program, Sharqawi Al-Hajj and Guled Duran have suffered physically and mentally in unlawful US detention, while former senior US officials have enjoyed impunity.
“In authorising this critical and much-delayed investigation into crimes in and related to Afghanistan, the Court made clear that political interference in judicial proceedings will not be tolerated.”
The ICC, which began operations in The Hague in 2002, is a court of last resort for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity allegedly committed by nationals of a signatory state or that allegedly took place on the territory of one of its member states.


theguardian--2020-03-05--'They're rooting for the coronavirus': Trump allies attack Democrats and the media

As the number of coronavirus cases begins to swell in the United States , conservative media outlets have been dedicating hours of airtime to slamming Democrats and mainstream media outlets such as the New York Times and CNN for being critical of Donald Trump and his response to the coronavirus .
For days , Trump ’ s allies in right-wing media have defended the president and his response to coronavirus , supporting the administration ’ s narrative that Democrats are using the coronavirus to further their own political agenda by purposefully exaggerating the severity of coronavirus just to blame Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-host of Fox & Friends Weekends , admonished Democrats ’ criticism , saying : “ They ’ re rooting for the coronavirus to spread .
They ’ re rooting for it to grow .
They ’ re rooting for the problem to get worse.
” “ They ’ re probably jumping for joy , ” Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt said about the Democrats ’ reaction to stock markets dropping .
Fox News has brought on Trump ’ s allies as guests , showering them with sympathy over the criticism they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s show , the Fox News host similarly rebuked the media for using coronavirus “ to smear the administration in a number of ways ” .
“ Such colossal nonsense , ” said guest Alex Azar , secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services , in agreement .
Conservative pundit Sean Hannity brought on Donald Trump Jr , the president ’ s son , to help emphasize that Trump as president is effectively mitigating a potential outbreak in the US .
“ How many thousands of Americans didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Donald Trump Jr. “ Well , many , ” Donald Trump Jr responded .
“ There ’ s no way we wouldn ’ t have thousands of more people that have contracted this [ without Trump ] .
” Around 100 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the US and there have been six deaths , all in Washington state .
The World Health Organization has confirmed nearly 90,000 cases , the vast majority in China , and more than 3,000 deaths .
Coronavirus , or Covid-19 , is a respiratory illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who contract it recover but it can develop into pneumonia-like symptoms and the elderly and those with health problems are at particular risk .
Other guests that Fox have brought over the past week have blasted Democrats and “ the media ” for criticizing Trump .
Gayle Trotter , a conservative columnist , said it was “ outrageous ” that Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank has not taken down a tweet that read “ Remember this moment : Trump , in South Carolina , just called the coronavirus a ‘ hoax ’ .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a rally that “ Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus … this is their new hoax.
” “ President Trump has said this a serious matter , and he ’ s not getting press coverage for that , ” Trotter said on Fox News .
Liberal MSNBC host Chris Hayes said : “ Really fascinating to watch rightwing media wrestle with coronavirus .
The reactionary instinct … is to fearmonger about diseased foreigners , but that might hurt Trump , so they ’ re trying to tamp down those fears or spin some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans around the US ’ response to coronavirus escalated last week when Donald Trump announced that his administration would be digging up $ 2.5bn to respond to a potential outbreak and putting vice-president Mike Pence in charge of the US response to the illness .
Democrats have been vocal about their criticism of the funding , saying Trump ’ s requested funding is not enough .
Democrats have also said that putting Pence at the front of the fight against coronavirus shows that the White House is not taking it seriously .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , Donald Trump Jr went so far as to say on Fox News that Democrats “ seemingly hope that it comes here and kills millions of people so they can end Donald Trump ’ s streak of winning.
” In a tense exchange with NBC ’ s Chuck Todd , Pence said that Donald Trump Jr ’ s comment was necessary pushback .
“ When you see voices from our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side , I think that ’ s important , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this rhetoric from your side helps ?
” Todd asked .
“ I never begrudge people responding to unwarranted , unjustified attacks , ” Pence said .
In the process of their defense , Trump ’ s allies try to assure their audiences that any panic over coronavirus in the United States is largely unnecessary .
In an earlier segment last week , Hannity mocked Democrat and “ the media ’ s ” response to coronavirus : “ Tonight I can absolutely report the sky is falling .
We are all doomed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is imminent , and you are going to all die .
All of you in the next 48 hours , and it ’ s all President Trump ’ s fault.
” Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh said “ the coronavirus is the common cold , folks ” after saying the illness “ is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump ” .
Joel Pollak , an editor at Breitbart wrote a column titled Five Reasons to Stop Freaking Out About Coronavirus , where he wrote that “ coronavirus is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as others ” .
Instead , “ coronavirus is an ‘ info-demic ’ , a panic caused by the spread of partial and often misleading information about a health risk , sometimes deliberately ” , Pollack wrote .

As the number of coronavirus cases begins to swell in the United States, conservative media outlets have been dedicating hours of airtime to slamming Democrats and mainstream media outlets such as the New York Times and CNN for being critical of Donald Trump and his response to the coronavirus.
For days, Trump’s allies in right-wing media have defended the president and his response to coronavirus, supporting the administration’s narrative that Democrats are using the coronavirus to further their own political agenda by purposefully exaggerating the severity of coronavirus just to blame Trump for it.
Peter Hegseth, a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekends, admonished Democrats’ criticism, saying: “They’re rooting for the coronavirus to spread. They’re rooting for it to grow. They’re rooting for the problem to get worse.”
“They’re probably jumping for joy,” Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt said about the Democrats’ reaction to stock markets dropping.
Fox News has brought on Trump’s allies as guests, showering them with sympathy over the criticism they are getting over coronavirus.
On Laura Ingraham’s show, the Fox News host similarly rebuked the media for using coronavirus “to smear the administration in a number of ways”.
“Such colossal nonsense,” said guest Alex Azar, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, in agreement.
Conservative pundit Sean Hannity brought on Donald Trump Jr, the president’s son, to help emphasize that Trump as president is effectively mitigating a potential outbreak in the US. “How many thousands of Americans didn’t contract this virus?” Hannity asked Donald Trump Jr.
“Well, many,” Donald Trump Jr responded. “There’s no way we wouldn’t have thousands of more people that have contracted this [without Trump].”
Around 100 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the US and there have been six deaths, all in Washington state. The World Health Organization has confirmed nearly 90,000 cases, the vast majority in China, and more than 3,000 deaths.
Coronavirus, or Covid-19, is a respiratory illness with symptoms similar to flu. Most who contract it recover but it can develop into pneumonia-like symptoms and the elderly and those with health problems are at particular risk.
Other guests that Fox have brought over the past week have blasted Democrats and “the media” for criticizing Trump.
Gayle Trotter, a conservative columnist, said it was “outrageous” that Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank has not taken down a tweet that read “Remember this moment: Trump, in South Carolina, just called the coronavirus a ‘hoax’.” Milbank was referring to Trump saying at a rally that “Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus … this is their new hoax.”
“President Trump has said this a serious matter, and he’s not getting press coverage for that,” Trotter said on Fox News.
Liberal MSNBC host Chris Hayes said: “Really fascinating to watch rightwing media wrestle with coronavirus. The reactionary instinct … is to fearmonger about diseased foreigners, but that might hurt Trump, so they’re trying to tamp down those fears or spin some anti-Trump conspiracy.”
Donald Trump listens to Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during a briefing on the coronavirus. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP
Tensions between Democrats and Republicans around the US’ response to coronavirus escalated last week when Donald Trump announced that his administration would be digging up $2.5bn to respond to a potential outbreak and putting vice-president Mike Pence in charge of the US response to the illness.
Democrats have been vocal about their criticism of the funding, saying Trump’s requested funding is not enough. Democrats have also said that putting Pence at the front of the fight against coronavirus shows that the White House is not taking it seriously.
In defending his father against criticism from the media, Donald Trump Jr went so far as to say on Fox News that Democrats “seemingly hope that it comes here and kills millions of people so they can end Donald Trump’s streak of winning.”
In a tense exchange with NBC’s Chuck Todd, Pence said that Donald Trump Jr’s comment was necessary pushback. “When you see voices from our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side, I think that’s important,” he told Todd.
“Do you think this rhetoric from your side helps?” Todd asked.
“I never begrudge people responding to unwarranted, unjustified attacks,” Pence said.
In the process of their defense, Trump’s allies try to assure their audiences that any panic over coronavirus in the United States is largely unnecessary.
In an earlier segment last week, Hannity mocked Democrat and “the media’s” response to coronavirus: “Tonight I can absolutely report the sky is falling. We are all doomed. The end is near. The apocalypse is imminent, and you are going to all die. All of you in the next 48 hours, and it’s all President Trump’s fault.”
Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh said “the coronavirus is the common cold, folks” after saying the illness “is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump”.
Joel Pollak, an editor at Breitbart wrote a column titled Five Reasons to Stop Freaking Out About Coronavirus, where he wrote that “coronavirus is a familiar illness, and not as bad as others”.
Instead, “coronavirus is an ‘info-demic’, a panic caused by the spread of partial and often misleading information about a health risk, sometimes deliberately”, Pollack wrote.


theguardian--2020-03-05--Sanders and Warren allies reportedly in talks to push a progressive agenda – as it happened

The Guardian ’ s Saad Ejaz was at Michael Bloomberg ’ s farewell speech earlier today , here ’ s his report from the room … Michael Bloomberg gave his last public appearance as a presidential nominee today , consoling a room full of staff and supporters at a Manhattan Hotel .
“ Mike will get it done , ” the crowd chanted , rather unenthusiastically , as they waited for Bloomberg .
“ I entered the race for the president to defeat Donald Trump , ” explained Bloomberg once he took the stage , “ And today I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Super Tuesday marked the first time the billionaire , his message or his money had been tested .
The numbers were not kind .
“ I ’ ve always believed that data should inform our decision , ” he admitted , “ After Yesterday ’ s results , the delegate math had become virtually impossible and a viable path to the nomination just no longer existed.
” Instead , it was time to unite behind one candidate to defeat Donald Trump , Bloomberg said , and that could only be his “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
“ I am glad to say that I endorse Joe Biden , and I hope you will join me in working to make him the next president of the United states , ” Bloomberg said of the candidate who , just 11 weeks before , he was unconvinced could beat Trump or run the country .
“ He ’ s never been the manager of an organization , he ’ s never run a school system , ” Bloomberg told MSNBC ’ s Stephanie Ruhle in December.
“ The presidency shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of Bloomberg ’ s supporters were in a somber mood ; some were in tears as the speech ended .
“ I ’ m just so sad and disappointed , ” said Margaret Brick , who has supported Bloomberg for the past 17 years , “ But I think he ’ s really going to help Joe.
” Other members of the campaign , like Abdul Malik , were not as sure of Joe Biden .
Malik had worked with the Bloomberg campaign to increase outreach with people of color .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden yet , ” said Malik , “ My biggest issue is criminal justice reform and no one else comes close to Bloomberg ’ s plan.
” Bloomberg himself was overcome with emotion , as he reflected on his campaign ’ s journey.
“ I ’ m just amazed at how many have stood with me shoulder to shoulder , ” he said at the verge of tears , “ Working and fighting every step of the way.
” “ And you do it because you love America as much as I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever ask for .
”

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now), Joan E Greve in Washington, Adam Gabbatt and Paul Owen (earlier)

5 Mar 2020 00.10 GMT Warren shakes hands with Sanders at the conclusion of the ninth Democratic 2020 U.S. Presidential candidates debate in Las Vegas Nevada. Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters Surrogates and allies of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are reportedly discussing strategies to unite to push a progressive agenda, the Washington Post reports. The expectation is that Warren, who has persisted despite a series of campaign setbacks, would drop out: The conversations, which are in an early phase, largely involve members of Congress who back Sanders (I-Vt.) reaching out to those in Warren’s camp to explore the prospect that Warren (D-Mass.) might endorse him. They are also appealing to Warren’s supporters to switch their allegiance to Sanders, according two people with direct knowledge of the conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicate discussions that are supposed to be confidential. The whirlwind of activity reflects the rapid changes in a Democratic primary that is still very much in transition. As late as Tuesday, many Warren allies believed she would stay in the race until the Democratic convention, despite her poor showing to date in the primaries, in hopes of retaining her clout and influencing the eventual nominee.
Updated at 00.13 GMT
4 Mar 2020 23.43 GMT The Guardian’s Saad Ejaz was at Michael Bloomberg’s farewell speech earlier today, here’s his report from the room … Michael Bloomberg gave his last public appearance as a presidential nominee today, consoling a room full of staff and supporters at a Manhattan Hotel. “Mike will get it done,” the crowd chanted, rather unenthusiastically, as they waited for Bloomberg.
“I entered the race for the president to defeat Donald Trump,” explained Bloomberg once he took the stage, “And today I am leaving the race for the same reason.” Super Tuesday marked the first time the billionaire, his message or his money had been tested. The numbers were not kind. “I’ve always believed that data should inform our decision,” he admitted, “After Yesterday’s results, the delegate math had become virtually impossible and a viable path to the nomination just no longer existed.” Instead, it was time to unite behind one candidate to defeat Donald Trump, Bloomberg said, and that could only be his “friend and a great American” Joe Biden.
“I am glad to say that I endorse Joe Biden, and I hope you will join me in working to make him the next president of the United states,” Bloomberg said of the candidate who, just 11 weeks before, he was unconvinced could beat Trump or run the country.
“He’s never been the manager of an organization, he’s never run a school system,” Bloomberg told MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle in December.“The presidency shouldn’t be a training job.”
Earlier today, Mike Bloomberg took the stage one last time as presidential candidate.
Here's what the crowd was like. pic.twitter.com/lwrzrurU6g — Saad Ejaz (@msaadejaz) March 4, 2020 Many of Bloomberg’s supporters were in a somber mood; some were in tears as the speech ended. “I’m just so sad and disappointed,” said Margaret Brick, who has supported Bloomberg for the past 17 years, “But I think he’s really going to help Joe.”
Other members of the campaign, like Abdul Malik, were not as sure of Joe Biden. Malik had worked with the Bloomberg campaign to increase outreach with people of color.
“I don’t know about Joe Biden yet,” said Malik, “My biggest issue is criminal justice reform and no one else comes close to Bloomberg’s plan.”
Bloomberg himself was overcome with emotion, as he reflected on his campaign’s journey.“I’m just amazed at how many have stood with me shoulder to shoulder,” he said at the verge of tears, “Working and fighting every step of the way.”
“And you do it because you love America as much as I do and that’s all I could ever ask for.”
4 Mar 2020 23.29 GMT Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump ally, told CNN that Joe Biden would be a tough opponent in the election. Lindsey Graham on Trump facing Biden in a general: "I think he would be tough. I think Joe Biden's got a good reputation and he'd be tough, he'd be more moderate than Bernie, but I still think it's Trump's to lose." pic.twitter.com/WMUzrghILu — Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 4, 2020 “I think Joe Biden’s got a good reputation,” said Graham, a Republican senator of South Carolina. “He’d be more moderate than Bernie, but I still think it’s Trump’s to lose.” Biden’s victory in Graham’s home state is what gave the firmer vice president’s flagging campaign the boost and momentum to take on Super Tuesday.
Updated at 23.29 GMT
4 Mar 2020 23.20 GMT Chuck Schumer’s team has responded to Chief Justice John Roberts’ reprimand. In a rare statement, Roberts described a speech that Schumer delivered as the Supreme Court considered a case that could result in grave new abortion restrictions as “threatening”. Schumer had said that the Trump-appointed justices would pay a price for restricting abortion access.
“Sen. Schumer’s comments were a reference to the political price Senate Republicans will pay for putting these justices on the court, and a warning that the justices will unleash a major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision,” said the senator’s spokesperson Justin Goodman in a statement. “For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes.”
4 Mar 2020 23.05 GMT Joe Biden: 'Trump poses an existential threat' Sam Levin After his big Super Tuesday wins, Biden just held a very brief press conference at a Los Angeles hotel, making about a dozen supporters and a large crowd of journalists wait over an hour for roughly seven minutes of remarks. He did not speak about Bloomberg’s departure or his remaining rivals in the race, saying:
“What we can’t let happen in the next few weeks is let this primary turn into a campaign of negative attacks. The only thing that can do is help Donald Trump ... Donald Trump poses an existential threat to our standing in the world.” “What we cant let happen in the best few weeks is let this primary turn into a campaign of negative attacks. The only thing that can do is help Donald Trump.” - Biden in LA pic.twitter.com/bk6v6pzXc3 — Sam Levin (@SamTLevin) March 4, 2020 “We are going to take this fight all across America to rebuild the middle class,” said Biden, who appeared relatively subdued in the small hotel conference room at the W Los Angeles in Westwood.
Biden ignored reporters’ questions as he walked out, but briefly responded to one question about criticisms that he is part of the Democratic “establishment”, saying, “The establishment are all those hard-working middle-class people, those African Americans...”
LA mayor Eric Garcetti, a Biden supporter, showed up, but made no remarks.
Lulu Lima, an 18-year-old supporter who also stood behind Biden, told me after that her father is a union member and supporter of the candidate. She said she was grateful to cast her first-ever vote for Biden and felt excited about his surge: “It’s awesome to see what can happen ... It means never lose hope, and in a broader sense, never lose hope for this nation.” Lulu Lima, 18, stood behind @JoeBiden today at his LA press conference. Her dad is a union supporter. She said Biden’s recent surge was a reminder to “never lose hope.” She said she avoids talking politics with friends or others her age who are Bernie supporters. pic.twitter.com/ZHA2h4oWUF — Sam Levin (@SamTLevin) March 4, 2020
Asked if she was confident Biden would win, she said, “All we can do is hope.” She said she avoids talking about politics with friends or others her age who are Sanders supporters: “It’s important for individuals to have their own beliefs.”
4 Mar 2020 22.57 GMT Donald Trump’s response to criticisms of his coronavirus response: Thanks, Obama. The president blamed a federal agency decision during Barack Obama’s administration, which Trump said made it harder to quickly roll out testing for the virus.
“The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we’re doing, and we undid that decision a few days ago so that the testing can take place in a much more accurate and rapid fashion,” he told reporters during a White House meeting with airline executives, whom he had called to discuss the economic effects of the outbreak. “That was a decision we disagreed with,” he said. I don’t think we would have made it, but for some reason, it was made.” It’s unclear what decision, exactly, Trump is referring to. The Trump administration has been criticized for dismantling an Obama effort to respond to global health emergencies more quickly. The president has also come under fire for not rolling out widespread testing for coronavirus more quickly, and spreading false information about the disease. White House's 'muzzled' coronavirus messaging is dangerous, experts say Read more
Updated at 22.59 GMT
4 Mar 2020 22.37 GMT Sanders held a press conference at his campaign office in Burlington, Vermont. Photograph: Caitlin Ochs/Reuters Bernie Sanders admitted he hadn’t been as successful as he’d hoped at galvanizing youth turnout. “Have we been as successful as I would hope in bringing young people in? And the answer is no,” he said, speaking at his campaign headquarters in Vermont. “We’re making some progress. But historically younger people do not vote in the kind of numbers that older people vote in. I think that will change in the general election.” He told reporters he was “disappointed” by the Super Tuesday results. “Of course I’m disappointed,” he said. “I would like to win every state by a landslide. It’s not going to happen.” But he emphasized the importance of upcoming races Michigan and other midwestern states, where he and Joe Biden are competing to win over working-class voters — to whom both candidates seem to appeal. “Joe and I are running very different campaigns,” he said. “And my hope is that in the coming months, we will be able to debate and discuss the very significant differences that we have.”
Updated at 22.39 GMT
4 Mar 2020 22.17 GMT Hi, there! It’s Maanvi Singh, blogging from the West Coast. In a rare statement, Chief Justice John Roberts denounced comments from Senator Chuck Schumer, who spoke at a rally outside the Supreme Court as the court heard oral arguments in a case that could result in new restrictions on abortion access. “Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous,” Roberts said. Schumer has said that Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — Trump’s Supreme Court appointees — “won’t know what hit” them if they voted to uphold abortion restrictions. “I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price,” Schumer said. US supreme court takes up most high-profile abortion case in decades Read more
Updated at 22.19 GMT
4 Mar 2020 22.00 GMT Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: The House easily passed a bill aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus. The bill, which lays out $8 billion in funding to combat the health threat, advanced to the Senate on a vote of 415 to 2.
The bill, which lays out $8 billion in funding to combat the health threat, advanced to the Senate on a vote of 415 to 2. Mike Bloomberg delivered an emotional speech to supporters after suspending his presidential campaign and endorsing Joe Biden. The former New York mayor expressed pride in the race he ran, even though the billionaire candidate spent $500 million and failed to win a single Super Tuesday state.
The former New York mayor expressed pride in the race he ran, even though the billionaire candidate spent $500 million and failed to win a single Super Tuesday state. Bernie Sanders predicted he and Biden would be “neck and neck” in the nominating contest after California’s delegates are allocated. Sanders was declared the winner of California, where 415 pledged delegates are up for grabs, as soon as polls closed, but Biden’s 10 victories elsewhere will likely give him the lead in delegates.
Sanders was declared the winner of California, where 415 pledged delegates are up for grabs, as soon as polls closed, but Biden’s 10 victories elsewhere will likely give him the lead in delegates. Elizabeth Warren said she was considering next steps for her campaign after a disappointing Super Tuesday performance. Warren’s campaign manager said the Massachusetts senator was “talking with our team to assess the path forward.”
Warren’s campaign manager said the Massachusetts senator was “talking with our team to assess the path forward.” US markets rallied after Biden’s strong Super Tuesday showing. After a string of market losses tied to concerns about coronavirus, investors appeared to breathe a sigh of relief about Sanders’ sinking fortunes in the presidential primary. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.


theguardian--2020-03-05--Biden is surging but his campaign has one weak spot: Joe Biden himself | Cas Mudde

Super Tuesday was a powerful reminder that Twitter is not the real world .
Of course , we knew this , or could have known this .
Pew Research had shown several times that Democrats on Twitter are more liberal than Democrats overall and that Twitter Democrats are less supportive of Joe Biden and more supportive of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren .
But pushed by some early wins , and the overwhelming presence of a loud minority on social media , the Sanders train took off in the traditional media too , bringing excitement and panic to liberal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not to be .
Not Sanders but Biden was the big winner of Super Tuesday .
Winning 10 of the 14 states in play , he only left Sanders the big prize of the delegate-richest state of California , and even there he ate into the Vermont senator ’ s delegate count , in part helped by Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren , who both polled above 10 % but below the 15 % viability threshold .
Now that Bloomberg has dropped out , the pressure on Warren to follow suit will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race to stop the progressive agenda of Sanders and Warren and , after spending a perverse half a billion of dollars on his campaign , only had American Samoa to show for .
He is expected to save face by putting his money and support behind Biden , which could be the push he needs to transform a plurality into a majority at , or before , the Democratic national convention in Milwaukee .
This puts even more pressure on Warren , whose campaign never bounced back from its – still largely unexplained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performances , she had a dismal Super Tuesday , being viable in only a couple of states , and even coming in third in her own home state of Massachusetts .
She wasn ’ t able to pick up any “ wonk votes ” from Pete Buttigieg or “ female votes ” from Amy Klobuchar , who both suspended their campaigns days before Super Tuesday .
Hence , it is time to bow out for Warren , and let Sanders defend the progressive camp against the now consolidated moderate camp of Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up high , as at the very least her debate performances have helped to stop Bloomberg and led to the resignation of Chris Matthews , a long-term embarrassment for liberal media .
The most remarkable aspect of Super Tuesday is that Biden won in states that he had spent little money in and had few campaign staff .
Against the millions of dollars of Bloomberg , and the tens of thousands of volunteers of Sanders , Biden seem to have won the good old-fashioned way , through endorsements .
South Carolina ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which started the “ Joementum ” , led to Biden ’ s massive win in South Carolina , followed by withdrawals from his moderate rivals , as well as the impeccably rolled-out endorsements of Buttigieg , Klobuchar and Beto O ’ Rourke just before Super Tuesday .
The fact that an endorsement and win in South Carolina , a state that will solidly support Trump in November , could have fundamentally changed the outcome of the Democratic primaries is yet another example of the complete irrationality of the primary process .
Given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the Biden campaign into the coming days and weeks , there is little reason to assume Joementum will die off soon .
Moreover , while a significant number of moderate early votes had still been cast for Buttigieg and Klobuchar on Super Tuesday , this will no longer be the case in the upcoming primaries .
Many of the next primaries are in moderate states , such as Mississippi and Missouri , which should be Biden territory .
Where does this leave Sanders ?
To be clear , the Sanders camp is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , his campaign seems to have hit its ceiling .
Sanders has a solid support of roughly one-quarter of Democrats and has been able to expand that to about one-third .
Even if he would be able to capture the full Warren support – which is doubtful given growing tensions between the campaigns and their supporters – it would not be close to 50 % .
The next big test for both Biden and Sanders is Michigan , the type of swing state that both candidates have staked their claim of defeating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uncle Joe from Scranton ” be able to dig into Sanders ’ support among the white working class , while also carrying the moderate suburban vote ?
Or will Sanders finally prove that he is the ( only ) candidate to win both new voters and some of Trump ’ s white working class ?
At the moment , everything seems to point at , at least , a Biden plurality .
But his campaign will always have one lethal weak spot : Joe Biden .
Gaffes have killed his earlier runs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It might be Sanders ’ best , and only chance at winning the nomination .
Because the way Joementum is going , Sanders might regret his recent statements that the candidate with a plurality should become the nominee at the Democratic national convention .

Super Tuesday was a powerful reminder that Twitter is not the real world. Of course, we knew this, or could have known this. Pew Research had shown several times that Democrats on Twitter are more liberal than Democrats overall, and that Twitter Democrats are less supportive of Joe Biden and more supportive of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. But pushed by some early wins, and the overwhelming presence of a loud minority on social media, the Sanders train took off in the traditional media too, bringing excitement and panic to liberal and moderate journalists and pundits alike.
It was not to be. Not Sanders but Biden was the big winner of Super Tuesday. Winning 10 of the 14 states in play, he only left Sanders the big prize of the delegate-richest state of California, and even there he ate into the Vermont senator’s delegate count, in part helped by Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren, who both polled above 10% but below the 15% viability threshold.
Now that Bloomberg has dropped out, the pressure on Warren to follow suit will be huge. Bloomberg only entered the race to stop the progressive agenda of Sanders and Warren and, after spending a perverse half a billion of dollars on his campaign, only had American Samoa to show for. He is expected to save face by putting his money and support behind Biden, which could be the push he needs to transform a plurality into a majority at, or before, the Democratic national convention in Milwaukee.
This puts even more pressure on Warren, whose campaign never bounced back from its – still largely unexplained – November slump. Despite excellent debate performances, she had a dismal Super Tuesday, being viable in only a couple of states, and even coming in third in her own home state of Massachusetts. She wasn’t able to pick up any “wonk votes” from Pete Buttigieg or “female votes” from Amy Klobuchar, who both suspended their campaigns days before Super Tuesday.
Hence, it is time to bow out for Warren, and let Sanders defend the progressive camp against the now consolidated moderate camp of Biden. She can do so with her head up high, as at the very least her debate performances have helped to stop Bloomberg and led to the resignation of Chris Matthews, a long-term embarrassment for liberal media.
The most remarkable aspect of Super Tuesday is that Biden won in states that he had spent little money in and had few campaign staff
The most remarkable aspect of Super Tuesday is that Biden won in states that he had spent little money in and had few campaign staff. Against the millions of dollars of Bloomberg, and the tens of thousands of volunteers of Sanders, Biden seem to have won the good old-fashioned way, through endorsements.
South Carolina’s iconic congressman Jim Clyburn’s endorsement, which started the “Joementum”, led to Biden’s massive win in South Carolina, followed by withdrawals from his moderate rivals, as well as the impeccably rolled-out endorsements of Buttigieg, Klobuchar and Beto O’Rourke just before Super Tuesday. The fact that an endorsement and win in South Carolina, a state that will solidly support Trump in November, could have fundamentally changed the outcome of the Democratic primaries is yet another example of the complete irrationality of the primary process.
Given that money and people will be flooding into the Biden campaign into the coming days and weeks, there is little reason to assume Joementum will die off soon. Moreover, while a significant number of moderate early votes had still been cast for Buttigieg and Klobuchar on Super Tuesday, this will no longer be the case in the upcoming primaries. Many of the next primaries are in moderate states, such as Mississippi and Missouri, which should be Biden territory.
Where does this leave Sanders? To be clear, the Sanders camp is still very much alive. The problem is, his campaign seems to have hit its ceiling. Sanders has a solid support of roughly one-quarter of Democrats and has been able to expand that to about one-third. Even if he would be able to capture the full Warren support – which is doubtful given growing tensions between the campaigns and their supporters – it would not be close to 50%.
The next big test for both Biden and Sanders is Michigan, the type of swing state that both candidates have staked their claim of defeating Trump in November on. Will “Uncle Joe from Scranton” be able to dig into Sanders’ support among the white working class, while also carrying the moderate suburban vote? Or will Sanders finally prove that he is the (only) candidate to win both new voters and some of Trump’s white working class?
At the moment, everything seems to point at, at least, a Biden plurality. But his campaign will always have one lethal weak spot: Joe Biden. Gaffes have killed his earlier runs and could still kill this one too. It might be Sanders’ best, and only chance at winning the nomination. Because the way Joementum is going, Sanders might regret his recent statements that the candidate with a plurality should become the nominee at the Democratic national convention.