theguardian--2020-03-05--Super Tuesday results surprised pundits. Do more shocks await us? | Geoffrey Kabaservice

Political prognostication is perilous .
Less than a week ago , the conventional wisdom among American pundits and pollsters was that the democratic socialist Bernie Sanders was cruising toward the Democratic presidential nomination .
Then came Super Tuesday .
Joe Biden won critical states such as Texas , Virginia and North Carolina , and finished first in Massachusetts and Minnesota , where a week ago he was projected to finish fifth .
Now much of the talking-head consensus is shifting toward proclaiming Biden the favorite .
Do the people who pronounce on politics really know any more about what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the pub or coffee shop ?
One thing the pundits got right was their consistent message that the Democratic party is deeply divided .
The Super Tuesday results showed that majorities of African Americans , moderates and older Americans cast their votes for Biden , while younger voters , progressives and Hispanics favored Sanders .
Pollsters had also long predicted that Biden would do well among black voters and that , by extension , he would do well in the 29 February primary in South Carolina , where the Democratic electorate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s victory among black voters in that primary was something of a surprise : he won almost two-thirds of their votes , coming in almost 44 percentage points ahead of his nearest competitor .
The impressive scale of his victory reversed the perception of failure that had grown from his tongue-tied debate performances , poor results in Iowa and New Hampshire , and reported donor exodus .
Given the importance of African Americans in the Democratic party base – the Democratic candidate who has won the most primary support from black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past 30 years – Biden ’ s South Carolina triumph gave him tremendous momentum going into Super Tuesday .
Why do black voters support Biden ?
Obviously he benefits from the residual good will of having spent eight years as vice-president to Barack Obama , who remains enormously popular among black people .
He also benefits from his reputation as a moderate .
There ’ s a widely held stereotype that African Americans , since they vote Democratic by overwhelming majorities , must also be liberal .
In fact , 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or conservative , according to a January survey from the Pew Research Center .
Even black voters who found Sanders ’ democratic socialism appealing may have voted for Biden in the belief that white voters would find him the more electable candidate .
“ Black voters know white voters better than white voters know themselves , ” one black South Carolinian told a New York Times reporter .
“ So yeah , we ’ ll back Biden , because we know who white America will vote for in the general election in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the media.
” In general , people who predict political outcomes for a living lean heavily on history .
Why are most of them skeptical that there will be a contested Democratic national convention this year ?
Because there hasn ’ t been one since 1952 .
Why don ’ t they believe that the candidate with the most enthusiastic following wins ?
Because if that were the case , Barry Goldwater and George McGovern would have been elected president .
Why are they skeptical that Sanders , if he were to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in huge numbers of energized young voters to make up for the moderates who would stay home ?
Because turnout among young voters typically lags 20 to 30 percentage points behind older voters .
Obviously the 2016 election results embarrassed the predictions of a legion of pundits and pollsters , leading many people to believe that any argument from history is useless in our present era of political volatility .
But many patterns of American political life show considerable persistence .
Biden seems to have received a boost in South Carolina , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerbroker congressman Jim Clyburn , the dean of the state delegation and the third-ranking Democrat in the House .
By the same token , after Super Tuesday it seems a more serious vulnerability that Sanders so far hasn ’ t been endorsed by a single Democratic state governor .
The 2020 election may give new life to The Party Decides theory that party elites and insiders have considerable influence over the eventual choice of nominee , even though that theory completely failed to predict Donald Trump ’ s overthrow of the Republican establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious , however , that historical analogies carry limited weight when it comes to some of the unique dynamics of the 2020 race .
You could argue that Biden ’ s comeback is reminiscent of John McCain ’ s Lazarus-like 2008 revival , when he managed to win the South Carolina Republican primary and go on to take the nomination despite having run out of funds and having been written off as a non-contender for the previous six months .
But I honestly can ’ t think of any real parallel to Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that prior to his South Carolina victory he had run for president three times across four decades without winning a single primary .
I also can ’ t think of a recent parallel to Biden ’ s having won five states – Arkansas , Massachusetts , Minnesota , Oklahoma and Tennessee – in which he didn ’ t even campaign .
Biden also won despite being outspent in Super Tuesday states 7-1 by Sanders and more than 100-1 by Mike Bloomberg – who abandoned his campaign and endorsed Biden the next day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been that the Democrats lost to Trump in 2016 because they nominated a boring centrist instead of the kind of exciting anti-establishment candidate that voters prefer .
But some Super Tuesday results suggest that belief is misguided .
In Oklahoma , for example , Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 in part because he carried self-identified “ moderate or conservative voters ” ( including independents ) by 11 points .
But this year , lacking the uniquely disliked Clinton as a foil , he lost those same voters to Biden by 28 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were thinking of the research findings by a pair of Stanford University political scientists that extreme candidates tend to lose , because even though they fire up their base they motivate their opponents ’ voters even more .
But the surge in voting in a Super Tuesday state like Virginia – where a record 1.3 million voted , nearly double the turnout of four years earlier – seems to have driven largely by suburban voters concerned that nominating a democratic socialist would cost Democrats not just the White House but control of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back by Democrats in 2018 largely through gains in moderate suburban districts .
No one can definitively say at this point who will be the Democratic presidential nominee this year .
Returns from California may bring Sanders into close contention with Biden .
Sanders may do well in upcoming primaries in other western states such as Washington and Idaho , or in midwestern states like Michigan where he beat Clinton in 2016 .
The coronavirus outbreak may wreak havoc on the economy and reshape the election dynamics .
There may yet be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nominee most likely would be determined by superdelegates voting on the second ballot .
If the nomination goes to Biden under that scenario , and Sanders claims to have been screwed yet again by the Democratic establishment , his followers may vote for an independent party or stay home .
They might do that in any case if Biden were to run as a status quo ante candidate , whether or not he chose a running mate from the party ’ s progressive wing .
At any rate , Super Tuesday has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of partisans and pundits alike .
To paraphrase the apocryphal Chinese curse , we are all living in interesting times .

Political prognostication is perilous. Less than a week ago, the conventional wisdom among American pundits and pollsters was that the democratic socialist Bernie Sanders was cruising toward the Democratic presidential nomination. Then came Super Tuesday. Joe Biden won critical states such as Texas, Virginia and North Carolina, and finished first in Massachusetts and Minnesota, where a week ago he was projected to finish fifth. Now much of the talking-head consensus is shifting toward proclaiming Biden the favorite. Do the people who pronounce on politics really know any more about what’s going on than the random loudmouth in the pub or coffee shop?
One thing the pundits got right was their consistent message that the Democratic party is deeply divided. The Super Tuesday results showed that majorities of African Americans, moderates and older Americans cast their votes for Biden, while younger voters, progressives and Hispanics favored Sanders.
Pollsters had also long predicted that Biden would do well among black voters and that, by extension, he would do well in the 29 February primary in South Carolina, where the Democratic electorate is majority black. The overwhelming margin of Biden’s victory among black voters in that primary was something of a surprise: he won almost two-thirds of their votes, coming in almost 44 percentage points ahead of his nearest competitor. The impressive scale of his victory reversed the perception of failure that had grown from his tongue-tied debate performances, poor results in Iowa and New Hampshire, and reported donor exodus. Given the importance of African Americans in the Democratic party base – the Democratic candidate who has won the most primary support from black voters has won the nomination every time over the past 30 years – Biden’s South Carolina triumph gave him tremendous momentum going into Super Tuesday.
Why do black voters support Biden? Obviously he benefits from the residual good will of having spent eight years as vice-president to Barack Obama, who remains enormously popular among black people. He also benefits from his reputation as a moderate. There’s a widely held stereotype that African Americans, since they vote Democratic by overwhelming majorities, must also be liberal. In fact, 70% of black voters identify as moderate or conservative, according to a January survey from the Pew Research Center. Even black voters who found Sanders’ democratic socialism appealing may have voted for Biden in the belief that white voters would find him the more electable candidate. “Black voters know white voters better than white voters know themselves,” one black South Carolinian told a New York Times reporter. “So yeah, we’ll back Biden, because we know who white America will vote for in the general election in a way they may not tell a pollster or the media.”
In general, people who predict political outcomes for a living lean heavily on history. Why are most of them skeptical that there will be a contested Democratic national convention this year? Because there hasn’t been one since 1952. Why don’t they believe that the candidate with the most enthusiastic following wins? Because if that were the case, Barry Goldwater and George McGovern would have been elected president. Why are they skeptical that Sanders, if he were to become the Democratic nominee, would draw in huge numbers of energized young voters to make up for the moderates who would stay home? Because turnout among young voters typically lags 20 to 30 percentage points behind older voters.
Obviously the 2016 election results embarrassed the predictions of a legion of pundits and pollsters, leading many people to believe that any argument from history is useless in our present era of political volatility. But many patterns of American political life show considerable persistence. Biden seems to have received a boost in South Carolina, for example, from his endorsement by influential powerbroker congressman Jim Clyburn, the dean of the state delegation and the third-ranking Democrat in the House. By the same token, after Super Tuesday it seems a more serious vulnerability that Sanders so far hasn’t been endorsed by a single Democratic state governor. The 2020 election may give new life to The Party Decides theory that party elites and insiders have considerable influence over the eventual choice of nominee, even though that theory completely failed to predict Donald Trump’s overthrow of the Republican establishment in 2016.
It’s also obvious, however, that historical analogies carry limited weight when it comes to some of the unique dynamics of the 2020 race. You could argue that Biden’s comeback is reminiscent of John McCain’s Lazarus-like 2008 revival, when he managed to win the South Carolina Republican primary and go on to take the nomination despite having run out of funds and having been written off as a non-contender for the previous six months. But I honestly can’t think of any real parallel to Biden’s comeback this year, given that prior to his South Carolina victory he had run for president three times across four decades without winning a single primary. I also can’t think of a recent parallel to Biden’s having won five states – Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Tennessee – in which he didn’t even campaign. Biden also won despite being outspent in Super Tuesday states 7-1 by Sanders and more than 100-1 by Mike Bloomberg – who abandoned his campaign and endorsed Biden the next day.
The central argument for Sanders supporters has been that the Democrats lost to Trump in 2016 because they nominated a boring centrist instead of the kind of exciting anti-establishment candidate that voters prefer. But some Super Tuesday results suggest that belief is misguided. In Oklahoma, for example, Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 in part because he carried self-identified “moderate or conservative voters” (including independents) by 11 points. But this year, lacking the uniquely disliked Clinton as a foil, he lost those same voters to Biden by 28 points.
No one can definitively say at this point who will be the Democratic presidential nominee this year
I doubt many Super Tuesday voters were thinking of the research findings by a pair of Stanford University political scientists that extreme candidates tend to lose, because even though they fire up their base they motivate their opponents’ voters even more. But the surge in voting in a Super Tuesday state like Virginia – where a record 1.3 million voted, nearly double the turnout of four years earlier – seems to have driven largely by suburban voters concerned that nominating a democratic socialist would cost Democrats not just the White House but control of the House as well, which was won back by Democrats in 2018 largely through gains in moderate suburban districts.
No one can definitively say at this point who will be the Democratic presidential nominee this year. Returns from California may bring Sanders into close contention with Biden. Sanders may do well in upcoming primaries in other western states such as Washington and Idaho, or in midwestern states like Michigan where he beat Clinton in 2016. The coronavirus outbreak may wreak havoc on the economy and reshape the election dynamics.
There may yet be a contested Democratic party convention, in which the nominee most likely would be determined by superdelegates voting on the second ballot. If the nomination goes to Biden under that scenario, and Sanders claims to have been screwed yet again by the Democratic establishment, his followers may vote for an independent party or stay home. They might do that in any case if Biden were to run as a status quo ante candidate, whether or not he chose a running mate from the party’s progressive wing.
At any rate, Super Tuesday has dynamited a lot of the congealing certainties of partisans and pundits alike. To paraphrase the apocryphal Chinese curse, we are all living in interesting times.


theguardian--2020-03-04--Bernie Sanders stays upbeat but concerns grow after difficult night

When Bernie Sanders came out to face his supporters in his home town of Burlington , Vermont , on Tuesday night he projected no signs of self-doubt .
“ We are going to defeat Trump because we are putting together an unprecedented grassroots multi-generational , multi-racial movement , ” he boomed , thumping the podium .
Even by that point in the night , though , the Super Tuesday results were pointing to a movement coalescing not around Sanders but around his resurgent opponent Joe Biden .
By the morning after , the hangover had worsened – data from several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had softened a little and had doggedly failed to expand .
Vermont , the bastion of the Sanders revolution since he won his first mayoral election in Burlington exactly 39 years ago to the day – 3 March 1981 – itself told a story .
In 2016 Sanders polled 116,000 votes in his home state to Hillary Clinton ’ s 18,000 ; on Tuesday he gained 80,000 to Biden ’ s 35,000 .
Certainly , there were positive takeaways for the night for Sanders .
California , the biggest prize , gave him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 34 % to Biden ’ s 25 % victory .
Sanders made large and possibly game-changing strides with Latino voters here , building on his success among this demographic in Nevada .
Some 55 % of Latinos came out for him in California and a stunning 84 % of younger Latinos aged 18 to 29 .
Sanders will cling to those achievements as the next stage of the primary contest now opens , arguing with some justification that the youth insurgency he unleashed in 2016 has matured in 2020 into a young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take on Trump .
As he told his people in Burlington on Tuesday night : “ You can not beat Trump with the same-old , same-old kind of politics.
” But against those promising signals there are many reasons for anxiety tucked into the Super Tuesday vote .
Perhaps the greatest cause for concern is the most simple – the moderate alternative voice to Sanders , which stands for evolution rather than revolution , regaining America ’ s dignity rather than transforming the nation , has finally taken form in Biden .
Nowhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upper midwestern state that Sanders won handsomely in 2016 by 62 % to Clinton ’ s 38 % ( it ran a caucus system in 2016 and has since changed to a primary ) .
On Tuesday Biden took the state by 39 % to Sanders ’ 30 % .
Exit polls suggested that about half of the voters in Minnesota had decided their vote just in the last few days , underlining the importance of Amy Klobuchar , the home US senator , quitting the race on Monday and endorsing Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition – you might use Sanders ’ own word , “ movement ” – forming around Biden is bound to intensify with Tuesday ’ s departure of the billionaire former mayor of New York , Michael Bloomberg .
With Sanders no longer able to benefit from the splintering of the moderates , he must now also worry about the struggle he has experienced to deliver on his main promise : turnout .
He told his crowd on Tuesday night that he would secure “ the highest voter turnout in American political history ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nate Silver , editor of the political analysis website FiveThirtyEight , noted that the most notable turnout of the night was in Virginia , which Biden won by 30 points , surging from about 800,000 to 1.3m .
“ It doesn ’ t seem great for Sanders ’ electability narrative that turnout seems to be increasing more in states where he isn ’ t doing as well , ” Silver said in a tweet .
Even his core base – young voters – who are absolutely essential to his vision of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have missed the message .
Exit polls used by a number of news outlets showed that while California lived up to Sanders ’ dream of a youth revolution with seven out of 10 young voters turning out for him , in North Carolina the proportion of youth support actually fell from 69 % in 2016 to 57 % in 2020 .
There will also need to be some difficult de-briefing in the Sanders camp over data that suggests that support for his individual policies – notably government-run universal healthcare – did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts , Minnesota , North Carolina , Oklahoma , Tennessee , Texas and Virginia , exit polls from Super Tuesday suggested that at least half of all Democratic voters support Medicare for All , yet these states all went for Biden , who opposes the idea .
So there is a lot to think about as the contest marches on to a flurry of states , including delegate-rich Michigan , on 10 March , and Arizona , Florida , Illinois and Ohio on 17 March .
Does Sanders hold firm and try and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of Biden ’ s explosive rise , or does he try something new as suggested by his latest campaign ad in Florida that shows him embracing , and embraced by , Barack Obama ?

When Bernie Sanders came out to face his supporters in his home town of Burlington, Vermont, on Tuesday night he projected no signs of self-doubt. “We are going to defeat Trump because we are putting together an unprecedented grassroots multi-generational, multi-racial movement,” he boomed, thumping the podium.
Even by that point in the night, though, the Super Tuesday results were pointing to a movement coalescing not around Sanders but around his resurgent opponent Joe Biden. By the morning after, the hangover had worsened – data from several states suggested that Sanders’ core support had softened a little and had doggedly failed to expand.
Vermont, the bastion of the Sanders revolution since he won his first mayoral election in Burlington exactly 39 years ago to the day – 3 March 1981 – itself told a story. In 2016 Sanders polled 116,000 votes in his home state to Hillary Clinton’s 18,000; on Tuesday he gained 80,000 to Biden’s 35,000.
Certainly, there were positive takeaways for the night for Sanders. California, the biggest prize, gave him a much-needed shot in the arm with his 34% to Biden’s 25% victory.
Sanders made large and possibly game-changing strides with Latino voters here, building on his success among this demographic in Nevada. Some 55% of Latinos came out for him in California and a stunning 84% of younger Latinos aged 18 to 29.
Sanders will cling to those achievements as the next stage of the primary contest now opens, arguing with some justification that the youth insurgency he unleashed in 2016 has matured in 2020 into a young, liberal, Latino insurgency which can take on Trump. As he told his people in Burlington on Tuesday night: “You cannot beat Trump with the same-old, same-old kind of politics.”
But against those promising signals there are many reasons for anxiety tucked into the Super Tuesday vote. Perhaps the greatest cause for concern is the most simple – the moderate alternative voice to Sanders, which stands for evolution rather than revolution, regaining America’s dignity rather than transforming the nation, has finally taken form in Biden.
03:49 Mike Bloomberg: four issues that hindered his presidential hopes – video
Nowhere was that clearer than in Minnesota, the upper midwestern state that Sanders won handsomely in 2016 by 62% to Clinton’s 38% (it ran a caucus system in 2016 and has since changed to a primary). On Tuesday Biden took the state by 39% to Sanders’ 30%.
Exit polls suggested that about half of the voters in Minnesota had decided their vote just in the last few days, underlining the importance of Amy Klobuchar, the home US senator, quitting the race on Monday and endorsing Biden. That pattern of a rapidly congealing coalition – you might use Sanders’ own word, “movement” – forming around Biden is bound to intensify with Tuesday’s departure of the billionaire former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg.
With Sanders no longer able to benefit from the splintering of the moderates, he must now also worry about the struggle he has experienced to deliver on his main promise: turnout. He told his crowd on Tuesday night that he would secure “the highest voter turnout in American political history” – but that task is proving elusive.
Nate Silver, editor of the political analysis website FiveThirtyEight, noted that the most notable turnout of the night was in Virginia, which Biden won by 30 points, surging from about 800,000 to 1.3m. “It doesn’t seem great for Sanders’ electability narrative that turnout seems to be increasing more in states where he isn’t doing as well,” Silver said in a tweet.
Even his core base – young voters – who are absolutely essential to his vision of a transformative moment in American history, seem to have missed the message. Exit polls used by a number of news outlets showed that while California lived up to Sanders’ dream of a youth revolution with seven out of 10 young voters turning out for him, in North Carolina the proportion of youth support actually fell from 69% in 2016 to 57% in 2020.
There will also need to be some difficult de-briefing in the Sanders camp over data that suggests that support for his individual policies – notably government-run universal healthcare – did not translate into votes. In Alabama, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, exit polls from Super Tuesday suggested that at least half of all Democratic voters support Medicare for All, yet these states all went for Biden, who opposes the idea.
So there is a lot to think about as the contest marches on to a flurry of states, including delegate-rich Michigan, on 10 March, and Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio on 17 March. Does Sanders hold firm and try and rekindle his “unprecedented movement” in the face of Biden’s explosive rise, or does he try something new as suggested by his latest campaign ad in Florida that shows him embracing, and embraced by, Barack Obama?


theguardian--2020-03-05--Mueller report: justice department ordered to turn over unredacted copy – live

Now that Elizabeth Warren has dropped out of the presidential race , we may be seeing less of her most @ @ @ @ @ retriever Bailey .
But it seems that Bailey is enjoying a break , and he @ @ @ @ @ let loose now that the pressure ’ s off .
It ’ s ruff always @ @ @ @ @ boy !
Following Warren ’ s public address announcing the end of her campaign , @ @ @ @ @ to a large burrito and gulped down a good portion of it before several people @ @ @ @ @ to remove the remnants from his mouth .
Burritos , of course , are generally @ @ @ @ @ for doggos .
Still , after a hard-fought campaign , who ’ s to say @ @ @ @ @ it .

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now), Joan E Greve in Washington and Martin Belam (earlier)

6 Mar 2020 01.02 GMT Summary A federal judge ordered the DOJ to hand over the unredacted Mueller Report. In a ruling that questioned attorney general William Barr’s “credibility”, the judge indicated that the court would review the report and consider what additional portions can be released to the public.
In a ruling that questioned attorney general William Barr’s “credibility”, the judge indicated that the court would review the report and consider what additional portions can be released to the public. Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the presidential race. She has declined to endorse either Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden. 01:49 Elizabeth Warren: key moments from her 2020 presidential campaign Bernie Sanders refocused his efforts on Michigan, leaving the south to Joe Biden. Though he was the frontrunner before Super Tuesday, Sanders is scrambling to catch up after moderates consolidated behind Biden.
Though he was the frontrunner before Super Tuesday, Sanders is scrambling to catch up after moderates consolidated behind Biden. The Senate approved an $8bn bill to address the coronavirus outbreak in the US. Mike Pence headed to Washington, where there have been more reported coronavirus cases than in any other state.
Mike Pence headed to Washington, where there have been more reported coronavirus cases than in any other state. Donald Trump answered questions in a Fox News town hall held in Biden’s home town Scranton, Pennsylvania. The president said he expects to face off against Biden, not Sanders, in November. Elizabeth Warren drops out of 2020 Democratic presidential race Read more
Updated at 07.52 GMT
6 Mar 2020 00.35 GMT Opinion: I’m sad to see Warren go, but now she has a choice to make Derecka Purnell Warren with husband Bruce Mann, leaving their home before Warren announced that she is dropping out of the presidential race. Photograph: Scott Eisen/Getty Images The Guardian’s Derecka Purnell writes:
Senator Warren was my second choice candidate. Not because she was a woman and I am concerned about electability. Not because I am waiting for the perfect woman to run, or that the budding octogenarian that I support is a savior. But because I truly believe that social movements and political revolution transform people, communities, and the planet - not just one built around a singular candidate. I did not want Warren to leave the race before anyone else. Naively, perhaps, I assumed that the United States had shifted significantly towards an exciting future, and the candidates would wither down to Bernie or Elizabeth. I was wrong. After Super Tuesday, I realized that many voters desperately want this country to return to normal, even though “normal” is oppressive for so many of us. The biggest threat to Warren and Sanders supporters was never each other. With this in mind, Senator Warren has a choice to make. She was one of the most innovative Democratic candidates for president in this current race, and possibly in American history. Her plans for universal childcare, significant Social Security expansion, and building a green economy would have certainly improved the lives of millions of peoples across the country. Does she believe in her vision enough to support and rally her base around Senator Sanders - the only candidate whose policies dream big about what we must make possible in this country? She absolutely must. Her, and our collective future, requires it. Read the full piece here: I'm sad to see Elizabeth Warren drop out. Now she has a choice to make | Derecka Purnell Read more
Updated at 00.38 GMT
6 Mar 2020 00.14 GMT Speaking at the Fox News town hall in Scranton, Trump said he expects to be running against Joe Biden. “Mentally, I’m all set for Bernie,” he said. But after Super Tuesday, “You know, I don’t think I’m running against Bernie,” Trump added. “I think it’s going to be very hard for him to come back.” He also said that Elizabeth Warren should have dropped out earlier, echoing what some Sanders supporters had said. “Look if she’s a true progressive, which probably she is, she should have dropped out three days ago,” Trump said.
6 Mar 2020 00.00 GMT Now that Elizabeth Warren has dropped out of the presidential race, we may be seeing less of her most effective surrogate: her golden retriever Bailey. Bailey legit just swiped someone’s burrito. pic.twitter.com/MWr6ZeiJa2 — Gabrielle Farrell 💫 President Warren 2020 (her/s) (@FarrellGabriell) March 5, 2020 But it seems that Bailey is enjoying a break, and he’s already starting to let loose now that the pressure’s off. It’s ruff always having to be a good boy! Following Warren’s public address announcing the end of her campaign, it seems Bailey helped himself to a large burrito and gulped down a good portion of it before several people lunged into action to try to remove the remnants from his mouth. Burritos, of course, are generally considered human food not meant for doggos. When the fam no longer has to behave for the sake of the campaign https://t.co/nPkjYg1vlm — David S. Bernstein (@dbernstein) March 5, 2020 Still, after a hard-fought campaign, who’s to say he didn’t deserve it. SOME BODY GET BAILEY ANOTHER BURRITO
CASE CLOSE — darth™ (@darth) March 5, 2020
Updated at 00.09 GMT
5 Mar 2020 23.46 GMT At the Scranton town hall, in response to a supporter who asked him to tone down his rhetoric, Donald Trump said it was important to “hit back”. “When they hit us, we have to hit back. I really feel that,” he said. “You can’t turn your cheek” He also provided a positive spin on the coronavirus outbreak: “I have to say, people are now staying in the United States, spending their money in the US— and I like that,” he said.
Updated at 23.46 GMT
5 Mar 2020 23.31 GMT Trump arrives at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport. Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters Donald Trump, meanwhile, is in Joe Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, for a town hall hosted by Fox News. This will be his first TV town hall the 2020 elections, and a rare instance where Trump will be taking questions from the public — albeit in a friendly venue set up by his favorite network. This is also Trump’s first visit this year to Pennsylvania, a swing state that he won by just 44,000 votes in 2016.
Updated at 23.32 GMT
5 Mar 2020 23.18 GMT Sanders focuses efforts on Michigan Bernie Sanders has canceled a trip to Mississippi, choosing to focus his efforts in Michigan and essentially leaving the south to Joe Biden. Sanders was supposed to campaign Jackson, Mississippi, along Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, on Friday. Instead, Sanders will head to Detroit for a rally tomorrow, and Grand Rapids for another event on Sunday. Speaking to reporters from his campaign headquarters in Vermont yesterday, Sanders said that Michigan would be “where we will spend a bit of our time,” and noted that it was critical in his path to the Democratic nomination. Though Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Michigan primary, he appears to be nearly 7 points behind Biden in a Detroit News/WDIV-TV poll of likely Michigan Democratic primary voters released Tuesday. Today, Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Biden. “All roads to the White House lead through my state, and I want to make sure that we’ve got a strong ability to help impact where we are headed as a nation,” she said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Sanders campaigned Whitmer’s primary challenger in 2018.
Updated at 01.01 GMT
5 Mar 2020 23.05 GMT Another judge from the same court as Judge Walton recently sentenced Roger Stone — a friend of Trump — for interfering in a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Amy Berman Jackson of the Washington district court sentenced Stone to more than three years in prison following disagreements between Barr and career prosecutors over how harsh the sentence should be.


theguardian--2020-03-05--Elizabeth Warren drops out of 2020 Democratic presidential race

Elizabeth Warren , the liberal Massachusetts senator whose sweeping economic plans shaped the Democratic policy debate , dropped out of the presidential race on Thursday after struggling to regain the momentum that briefly made her a frontrunner for the nomination .
In what began as the most diverse field in history , Warren was the last major female Democratic presidential candidate in the race .
Her departure sets up what is effectively a contest between two white men in their 70s – Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders .
Warren informed staff of her decision during a meeting on Thursday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news , ” she told campaign staff on a conference call .
“ I want all of you to hear it first and I want you to hear it straight from me : today , I ’ m suspending our campaign for president.
” She continued : “ It ’ s not the scale of the difference we wanted to make , but it matters – and the changes will have ripples for years to come.
” At a press conference from her home in Cambridge , Massachusetts , the senator offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which she acknowledged that she had been effectively squeezed out of the race by Sanders on the left and Biden on the center .
“ I was told at the beginning of this whole undertaking that there are two lanes : a progressive lane that Bernie Sanders is incumbent for and a moderate lane that Joe Biden was the incumbent for and there ’ s no room for anyone else in this , ” she told reporters .
“ I thought that wasn ’ t right but evidently I was wrong.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lackluster finishes in the early voting contests , including a demoralizing third-place finish in her home state of Massachusetts on Super Tuesday .
Warren , 70 , recently cast herself as the “ unity candidate ” best positioned to bring together the Democratic party , even as she sharpened her criticisms of Sanders , Biden and multi-billionaire Mike Bloomberg , who she essentially drove out of the race with a devastating attack during a debate in Nevada last month .
Bloomberg ended his bid on Wednesday .
In her call with staff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight , and , when necessary , we left plenty of blood and teeth on the floor ” .
She said : “ And I can think of one billionaire who has been denied the chance to buy this election.
” Biden called Warren “ the fiercest of fighters for middle class families ” , adding that her “ work in Washington , in Massachusetts and on the campaign trail has made a real difference in people ’ s lives ” .
Sanders praised his Senate colleague for running an “ extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressive movement “ would not be nearly as strong as it is today ” without her leadership .
Both candidates are aggressively pursuing her endorsement but she said she had no plans to immediately back either in the race .
“ Let ’ s take a deep breath and talk about this for a little bit longer , ” she told reporters on Thursday .
Warren ’ s campaign was widely recognized for its organization but early investment in states like Iowa failed to translate into wins .
She came third there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the disastrous debacle over the reporting of the results .
That was followed by a fourth-place finish in New Hampshire .
She slipped to fifth in South Carolina .
And on Super Tuesday this week , where her team predicted she would have a “ strong performance ” , she did not win a single state : not even Massachusetts , where liberals split between her and Sanders while moderates broke heavily for Biden , who hardly campaigned there .
It was blow from which she unable to recover , despite a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in more than 30 states .
Trump immediately seized on her exit , referring to her by the racial slur “ Pocahontas ” .
He said she was “ going nowhere except into Mini Mike ’ s head ” .
Trump gloated : “ She cost Crazy Bernie , at least , Massachusetts , Minnesota and Texas .
Probably cost him the nomination !
” In recent weeks , Warren has come under pressure from progressives backing Sanders to drop out and endorse him , in the way moderate contenders Pete Buttigieg and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina .
But Warren remained defiant , sharpening her attacks on Sanders , who she said was too polarizing , and Biden , whose vision she criticized as “ small ” .
Many of her most ardent supporters saw a double standard in the coverage of Warren : despite finishing ahead of Biden and Klobuchar in Iowa , she seemed to fade from the political conversation .
The scale of her loss , and comparisons to Clinton , confirmed for some that the nation was not ready to elect a woman president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sexism played in her campaign , Warren that was the “ trap question ” for every woman running for public office .
“ If you say , yeah there was sexism in this race , everyone says , whiner , ” she said .
“ And if you say no there was no sexism about a bazillion women think , what planet do you live on ?
” She said one of the “ hardest parts ” about her decision to leave the raise was “ all those little girls who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ” .
Warren , a former Harvard professor who specialized in bankruptcy law , entered the primary as a “ fighter ” with a mission to root out corruption in Washington .
Her expansive economic proposals – from universal childcare to student loan debt relief to free college – became her trademark .
“ I have a plan for that , ” became her tagline , appearing on T-shirts and coffee mugs .
Her plans were underwritten by a wealth tax on the richest Americans .
The idea was so popular among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cents ” would break out at rallies , a reference to the amount per dollar that Warren promised to tax on wealth over $ 50m .
She was also known for spending hours after campaign events taking photos with supporters in what became known as her “ selfie line ” .
The tactic was intended to highlight the time the candidate was able to dedicate to voters because she had eschewed high-dollar donor events .
Her rapidly expanding portfolio of policy proposals dominated the early contest of ideas .
In polling last summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past Biden , then the frontrunner in some surveys .
Warren ran strong among educated women , including those who had supported Clinton in 2016 and were eager to see a woman elevated to the White House .
But despite receiving broad support among prominent black leaders and activists who were drawn to Warren ’ s sharp analysis of the connection between racial and economic inequality , she was never able to make inroads with the party ’ s most loyal constituency .
In South Carolina , where African Americans make up more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she won support from just 5 % of black voters .
Democrats ’ desperation to beat Trump resulted in an intense focus on “ electability ” , a calculation that can include gender and racial biases .
Supporters believe voter obsession with electability hampered Warren ’ s candidacy as it had for other women and candidates of color who ran for the nomination , like Kamala Harris , Cory Booker and Julian Castro .
Asked during a debate to respond to Barack Obama ’ s assertion that more women should lead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ oldest president ever inaugurated ” .
She shot back : “ I ’ d also be the youngest woman ever inaugurated .
”

Elizabeth Warren, the liberal Massachusetts senator whose sweeping economic plans shaped the Democratic policy debate, dropped out of the presidential race on Thursday after struggling to regain the momentum that briefly made her a frontrunner for the nomination.
In what began as the most diverse field in history, Warren was the last major female Democratic presidential candidate in the race. Her departure sets up what is effectively a contest between two white men in their 70s – Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
Warren informed staff of her decision during a meeting on Thursday morning.
“I want to start with the news,” she told campaign staff on a conference call. “I want all of you to hear it first and I want you to hear it straight from me: today, I’m suspending our campaign for president.”
She continued: “It’s not the scale of the difference we wanted to make, but it matters – and the changes will have ripples for years to come.”
At a press conference from her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the senator offered a frank assessment of her candidacy, in which she acknowledged that she had been effectively squeezed out of the race by Sanders on the left and Biden on the center.
“I was told at the beginning of this whole undertaking that there are two lanes: a progressive lane that Bernie Sanders is incumbent for and a moderate lane that Joe Biden was the incumbent for and there’s no room for anyone else in this,” she told reporters. “I thought that wasn’t right but evidently I was wrong.”
Her departure comes after a series of lackluster finishes in the early voting contests, including a demoralizing third-place finish in her home state of Massachusetts on Super Tuesday.
Warren, 70, recently cast herself as the “unity candidate” best positioned to bring together the Democratic party, even as she sharpened her criticisms of Sanders, Biden and multi-billionaire Mike Bloomberg, who she essentially drove out of the race with a devastating attack during a debate in Nevada last month. Bloomberg ended his bid on Wednesday.
In her call with staff, Warren said her team was “willing to fight, and, when necessary, we left plenty of blood and teeth on the floor”.
She said: “And I can think of one billionaire who has been denied the chance to buy this election.”
Biden called Warren “the fiercest of fighters for middle class families”, adding that her “work in Washington, in Massachusetts and on the campaign trail has made a real difference in people’s lives”.
Sanders praised his Senate colleague for running an “extraordinary campaign of ideas” and said the progressive movement “would not be nearly as strong as it is today” without her leadership.
Both candidates are aggressively pursuing her endorsement but she said she had no plans to immediately back either in the race.
“Let’s take a deep breath and talk about this for a little bit longer,” she told reporters on Thursday.
Warren’s campaign was widely recognized for its organization but early investment in states like Iowa failed to translate into wins. She came third there, a comparatively respectable finish that was overshadowed by the disastrous debacle over the reporting of the results.
Warren at her Iowa caucus rally in Des Moines. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters
That was followed by a fourth-place finish in New Hampshire. She slipped to fifth in South Carolina. And on Super Tuesday this week, where her team predicted she would have a “strong performance”, she did not win a single state: not even Massachusetts, where liberals split between her and Sanders while moderates broke heavily for Biden, who hardly campaigned there.
It was blow from which she unable to recover, despite a fundraising surge last month and field organizations in more than 30 states.
Trump immediately seized on her exit, referring to her by the racial slur “Pocahontas”. He said she was “going nowhere except into Mini Mike’s head”.
Trump gloated: “She cost Crazy Bernie, at least, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas. Probably cost him the nomination!”
In recent weeks, Warren has come under pressure from progressives backing Sanders to drop out and endorse him, in the way moderate contenders Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar aligned behind Biden after losing South Carolina. But Warren remained defiant, sharpening her attacks on Sanders, who she said was too polarizing, and Biden, whose vision she criticized as “small”.
Many of her most ardent supporters saw a double standard in the coverage of Warren: despite finishing ahead of Biden and Klobuchar in Iowa, she seemed to fade from the political conversation.
The scale of her loss, and comparisons to Clinton, confirmed for some that the nation was not ready to elect a woman president.
Asked on Thursday what role gender and sexism played in her campaign, Warren that was the “trap question” for every woman running for public office.
“If you say, yeah there was sexism in this race, everyone says, whiner,” she said. “And if you say no there was no sexism about a bazillion women think, what planet do you live on?”
She said one of the “hardest parts” about her decision to leave the raise was “all those little girls who are going to have to wait four more years”.
Warren, a former Harvard professor who specialized in bankruptcy law, entered the primary as a “fighter” with a mission to root out corruption in Washington. Her expansive economic proposals – from universal childcare to student loan debt relief to free college – became her trademark. “I have a plan for that,” became her tagline, appearing on T-shirts and coffee mugs.
Her plans were underwritten by a wealth tax on the richest Americans. The idea was so popular among her supporters that chants of “two cents” would break out at rallies, a reference to the amount per dollar that Warren promised to tax on wealth over $50m.
She was also known for spending hours after campaign events taking photos with supporters in what became known as her “selfie line”. The tactic was intended to highlight the time the candidate was able to dedicate to voters because she had eschewed high-dollar donor events.
Her rapidly expanding portfolio of policy proposals dominated the early contest of ideas. In polling last summer, Warren rose inexorably, even edging past Biden, then the frontrunner in some surveys.
Warren ran strong among educated women, including those who had supported Clinton in 2016 and were eager to see a woman elevated to the White House.
But despite receiving broad support among prominent black leaders and activists who were drawn to Warren’s sharp analysis of the connection between racial and economic inequality, she was never able to make inroads with the party’s most loyal constituency. In South Carolina, where African Americans make up more than 60% of the Democratic electorate, she won support from just 5% of black voters.
Democrats’ desperation to beat Trump resulted in an intense focus on “electability”, a calculation that can include gender and racial biases. Supporters believe voter obsession with electability hampered Warren’s candidacy as it had for other women and candidates of color who ran for the nomination, like Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Julian Castro.
Asked during a debate to respond to Barack Obama’s assertion that more women should lead, the moderator noted that Warren would be the “oldest president ever inaugurated”.
She shot back: “I’d also be the youngest woman ever inaugurated.”


theguardian--2020-03-05--'We will persist': read Elizabeth Warren's full statement on quitting the 2020 race

I want to start with the news .
I want all of you to hear it first , and I want you to hear it straight from me : today , I ’ m suspending our campaign for president .
I know how hard all of you have worked .
I know how you disrupted your lives to be part of this .
I know you have families and loved ones you could have spent more time with .
You missed them and they missed you .
And I know you have sacrificed to be here .
So from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for everything you have poured into this campaign .
I know that when we set out , this was not the call you ever wanted to hear .
It is not the call I ever wanted to make .
But I refuse to let disappointment blind me – or you – to what we ’ ve accomplished .
We didn ’ t reach our goal , but what we have done together – what you have done – has made a lasting difference .
It ’ s not the scale of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it matters – and the changes will have ripples for years to come .
What we have done – and the ideas we have launched into the world , the way we have fought this fight , the relationships we have built – will carry through , carry through for the rest of this election , and the one after that , and the one after that .
So think about it : • None We have shown that it is possible to build a grassroots movement that is accountable to supporters and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to do it fast enough for a first-time candidate to build a viable campaign .
Never again can anyone say that the only way that a newcomer can get a chance to be a plausible candidate is to take money from corporate executives and billionaires .
That ’ s done .
• None We have also shown that it is possible to inspire people with big ideas , possible to call out what ’ s wrong and to lay out a path to make this country live up to its promise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ race and justice – economic justice , social justice , environmental justice , criminal justice – are not an afterthought , but are at the heart everything that we do .
• None We have shown that a woman can stand up , hold her ground , and stay true to herself – no matter what .
• None We have shown that we can build plans in collaboration with the people who are most affected .
You know just one example : our disability plan is a model for our country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way we relied on the disability communities to help us get it right will be a more important model .
And one thing more : campaigns take on a life and soul of their own and they are a reflection of the people who work on them .
This campaign became something special , and it wasn ’ t because of me .
It was because of you .
I am so proud of how you all fought this fight alongside me : you fought it with empathy and kindness and generosity – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and grit .
Some of you may remember that long before I got into electoral politics , I was asked if I would accept a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that was weak and toothless .
And I replied that my first choice was a consumer agency that could get real stuff done , and my second choice was no agency and lots of blood and teeth left on the floor .
And in this campaign , we have been willing to fight , and , when necessary , we left plenty of blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can think of one billionaire who has been denied the chance to buy this election .
Now , campaigns change people .
And I know that you will carry the experiences you have had here , the skills you ’ ve learned , the friendships you have made , will be with you for the rest of your lives .
I also want you to know that you have changed me , and I will carry you in my heart for the rest of my life .
So if you leave with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it must be this : choose to fight only righteous fights , because then when things get tough – and they will – you will know that there is only option ahead of you : nevertheless , you must persist .
You should all be so proud of what we ’ ve done together – what you have done over this past year .
• None We built a grassroots campaign that had some of the most ambitious organizing targets ever – and then we turned around and surpassed them .
• None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knocked on over 22m doors across the country .
• None They made 20m phone calls and they sent more than 42m texts to voters .
That ’ s truly astonishing .
It is .
• None We fundamentally changed the substance of this race .
You know a year ago , people weren ’ t talking about a $ 0.02 wealth tax , universal childcare , cancelling student loan debt for 43 million Americans while reducing the racial wealth gap , or breaking up big tech .
Or expanding Social Security .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we did the work of building broad support for all of those ideas across this country , these changes could actually be implemented by the next president .
A year ago , people weren ’ t talking about corruption , and they still aren ’ t talking about it enough – but we ’ ve moved the needle , and a hunk of our anti-corruption plan is already embedded in a House bill that is ready to go when we get a Democratic Senate .
We also advocated for fixing our rigged system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work better for everyone – regardless of your race , or gender , or religion , regardless of whether you ’ re straight or LGBTQ .
And that wasn ’ t an afterthought , it was built into everything we did .
And we did all of this without selling access for money .
Together 1.25 million people gave more than $ 112m to support this campaign .
And we did it without selling one minute of my time to the highest bidder .
People said that would be impossible .
But you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it by having fun and by staying true to ourselves .
We ran from the heart .
We ran on our values .
We ran on treating everyone with respect and dignity .
You know liberty green everything was key here – my personal favorites included the liberty green boas , liberty green sneakers , liberty green make up , liberty green hair , and liberty green glitter liberally applied .
But it was so much more .
Four-hour selfie lines and pinky promises with little girls .
And a wedding at one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were joyful and positive through all of it .
We ran a campaign not to put people down , but to lift them up – and I loved pretty much every minute of it .
So take some time to be with your friends and family , to get some sleep , maybe to get that haircut you ’ ve been putting off – you know who I ’ m talking about .
Do things to take care of yourselves , gather up your energy , because I know you are coming back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that you aren ’ t ready to leave this fight .
You know , I used to hate goodbyes .
Whenever I taught my last class or when we moved to a new city , those final goodbyes used to wrench my heart .
But then I realized that there is no goodbye for much of what we do .
When I left one place , I took everything I ’ d learned before and all the good ideas that were tucked into my brain and all the good friends that were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought it all forward with me – and it became part of what I did next .
This campaign is no different .
I may not be in the race for president in 2020 , but this fight – our fight – is not over .
And our place in this fight has not ended .
Because for every young person who is drowning in student debt , for every family struggling to pay the bills on two incomes , for every mom worried about paying for prescriptions or putting food on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For every immigrant and African American and Muslim and Jewish person and Latinx and transwoman who sees the rise in attacks on people who look or sound or worship like them , this fight goes on .
And for every person alarmed by the speed with which climate change is bearing down upon us , this fight goes on .
And for every American who desperately wants to see our nation healed and some decency and honor restored to our government , this fight goes on .
And sure , the fight may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be in that fight , and I want you in this fight with me .
We will persist .
One last story .
One last story .
When I voted yesterday at the elementary school down the street , a mom came up to me .
And she said she has two small children , and they have a nightly ritual .
After the kids have brushed teeth and read books and gotten that last sip of water and done all the other bedtime routines , they do one last thing before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mama leans over them and whispers , “ Dream big.
” And the children together reply , “ Fight hard.
” Our work continues , the fight goes on and big dreams never die .

I want to start with the news. I want all of you to hear it first, and I want you to hear it straight from me: today, I’m suspending our campaign for president.
I know how hard all of you have worked. I know how you disrupted your lives to be part of this. I know you have families and loved ones you could have spent more time with. You missed them and they missed you. And I know you have sacrificed to be here.
So from the bottom of my heart, thank you, for everything you have poured into this campaign.
I know that when we set out, this was not the call you ever wanted to hear. It is not the call I ever wanted to make. But I refuse to let disappointment blind me – or you – to what we’ve accomplished. We didn’t reach our goal, but what we have done together – what you have done – has made a lasting difference. It’s not the scale of the difference we wanted to make, but it matters – and the changes will have ripples for years to come.
What we have done – and the ideas we have launched into the world, the way we have fought this fight, the relationships we have built – will carry through, carry through for the rest of this election, and the one after that, and the one after that.
So think about it:
We have shown that it is possible to build a grassroots movement that is accountable to supporters and activists and not to wealthy donors – and to do it fast enough for a first-time candidate to build a viable campaign. Never again can anyone say that the only way that a newcomer can get a chance to be a plausible candidate is to take money from corporate executives and billionaires. That’s done.
We have also shown that it is possible to inspire people with big ideas, possible to call out what’s wrong and to lay out a path to make this country live up to its promise.
We have also shown that race and justice – economic justice, social justice, environmental justice, criminal justice – are not an afterthought, but are at the heart everything that we do.
We have shown that a woman can stand up, hold her ground, and stay true to herself – no matter what.
We have shown that we can build plans in collaboration with the people who are most affected. You know just one example: our disability plan is a model for our country, and, even more importantly, the way we relied on the disability communities to help us get it right will be a more important model.
And one thing more: campaigns take on a life and soul of their own and they are a reflection of the people who work on them.
This campaign became something special, and it wasn’t because of me. It was because of you. I am so proud of how you all fought this fight alongside me: you fought it with empathy and kindness and generosity – and of course, with enormous passion and grit.
Some of you may remember that long before I got into electoral politics, I was asked if I would accept a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that was weak and toothless. And I replied that my first choice was a consumer agency that could get real stuff done, and my second choice was no agency and lots of blood and teeth left on the floor. And in this campaign, we have been willing to fight, and, when necessary, we left plenty of blood and teeth on the floor. And I can think of one billionaire who has been denied the chance to buy this election.
Now, campaigns change people. And I know that you will carry the experiences you have had here, the skills you’ve learned, the friendships you have made, will be with you for the rest of your lives. I also want you to know that you have changed me, and I will carry you in my heart for the rest of my life.
So if you leave with only one thing you leave with, it must be this: choose to fight only righteous fights, because then when things get tough – and they will – you will know that there is only option ahead of you: nevertheless, you must persist.
You should all be so proud of what we’ve done together – what you have done over this past year.
We built a grassroots campaign that had some of the most ambitious organizing targets ever – and then we turned around and surpassed them.
Our staff and volunteers on the ground knocked on over 22m doors across the country.
They made 20m phone calls and they sent more than 42m texts to voters. That’s truly astonishing. It is.
We fundamentally changed the substance of this race.
You know a year ago, people weren’t talking about a $0.02 wealth tax, universal childcare, cancelling student loan debt for 43 million Americans while reducing the racial wealth gap, or breaking up big tech. Or expanding Social Security. And now they are. And because we did the work of building broad support for all of those ideas across this country, these changes could actually be implemented by the next president.
A year ago, people weren’t talking about corruption, and they still aren’t talking about it enough – but we’ve moved the needle, and a hunk of our anti-corruption plan is already embedded in a House bill that is ready to go when we get a Democratic Senate.
We also advocated for fixing our rigged system in a way that will make it work better for everyone – regardless of your race, or gender, or religion, regardless of whether you’re straight or LGBTQ. And that wasn’t an afterthought, it was built into everything we did.
And we did all of this without selling access for money. Together 1.25 million people gave more than $112m to support this campaign. And we did it without selling one minute of my time to the highest bidder. People said that would be impossible. But you did that.
And we also did it by having fun and by staying true to ourselves. We ran from the heart. We ran on our values. We ran on treating everyone with respect and dignity. You know liberty green everything was key here – my personal favorites included the liberty green boas, liberty green sneakers, liberty green make up, liberty green hair, and liberty green glitter liberally applied. But it was so much more. Four-hour selfie lines and pinky promises with little girls. And a wedding at one of our town halls. And we were joyful and positive through all of it. We ran a campaign not to put people down, but to lift them up – and I loved pretty much every minute of it.
So take some time to be with your friends and family, to get some sleep, maybe to get that haircut you’ve been putting off – you know who I’m talking about. Do things to take care of yourselves, gather up your energy, because I know you are coming back. I know you – and I know that you aren’t ready to leave this fight.
You know, I used to hate goodbyes. Whenever I taught my last class or when we moved to a new city, those final goodbyes used to wrench my heart. But then I realized that there is no goodbye for much of what we do. When I left one place, I took everything I’d learned before and all the good ideas that were tucked into my brain and all the good friends that were tucked in my heart, and I brought it all forward with me – and it became part of what I did next. This campaign is no different. I may not be in the race for president in 2020, but this fight – our fight – is not over. And our place in this fight has not ended.
Because for every young person who is drowning in student debt, for every family struggling to pay the bills on two incomes, for every mom worried about paying for prescriptions or putting food on the table, this fight goes on. For every immigrant and African American and Muslim and Jewish person and Latinx and transwoman who sees the rise in attacks on people who look or sound or worship like them, this fight goes on. And for every person alarmed by the speed with which climate change is bearing down upon us, this fight goes on. And for every American who desperately wants to see our nation healed and some decency and honor restored to our government, this fight goes on. And sure, the fight may take a new form, but I will be in that fight, and I want you in this fight with me. We will persist.
One last story. One last story. When I voted yesterday at the elementary school down the street, a mom came up to me. And she said she has two small children, and they have a nightly ritual. After the kids have brushed teeth and read books and gotten that last sip of water and done all the other bedtime routines, they do one last thing before the two little ones go to sleep. Mama leans over them and whispers, “Dream big.” And the children together reply, “Fight hard.”
Our work continues, the fight goes on and big dreams never die.


theguardian--2020-03-05--I'm sad to see Elizabeth Warren drop out. Now she has a choice to make | Derecka Purnell

After several disappointing results following Super Tuesday , Senator Elizabeth Warren suspended her campaign on Thursday .
Two summers ago , Senator Elizabeth Warren ’ s chief of staff invited me to their office to discuss criminal justice reform .
I was ecstatic .
I lived in her district while I was a law student and really wanted her to run against Hilary Clinton .
She did not then , but I assumed from the invitation that she was considering a presidential run and how to move on the upcoming vote on the First Step Act .
As I entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encountered was black or a person of color , including the person who invited me .
I was shocked by the diversity , but it reflected some of what I knew about her views on racial justice .
I left the meeting excited and curious about what would come next .
Then it happened .
She entered the race .
I watched many friends and activists eager to support her .
She is charismatic , brilliant , and shared many of their politics .
Warren says two words , almost musically : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thoughts , her prayers , and most importantly , her plans .
During debates , she often initiated conversations on black infant and maternal mortality , and was the only candidate to discuss the plight of black transwomen .
She received early endorsements from the Working Families Party and Black Womxn for Warren .
Senator Warren ’ s stances and campaign were strong , but faced significant challenges .
During the November 2019 debate , a moderator asked whether taxes would increase to cover Medicare for All .
Senator Bernie Sanders , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said yes .
After being prompted several times , Senator Warren refused to answer whether taxes would increase , answering only that costs would not .
Following the debate , she announced a multi-year phase medical coverage plan that did not increase taxes , but by then , she was under severe scrutiny for not being seemingly straightforward about her ideas .
The next month , CNN broke a story accusing Senator Sanders of telling Senator Warren that a woman could not beat Donald Trump .
Senator Sanders denied it , explaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hilary Clinton in 2016 , but acknowledged that Trump would use misogynistic tactics to undermine a woman candidate .
His campaign released a decades old video of him telling a young girl that she could be president .
The progressive camps of both candidates were already fragile by the time that spat broke .
Additional fights that followed on and offline about the pair have devastated relationships , perhaps irreparably , even as the two candidates will likely remain friends following the election .
Many of the attacks on Warren were sexist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced throughout the race .
While sexism is a legitimate explanation for Warren ’ s inability to obtain traction , it was not the sole , or even predominate reason .
She received additional backlash from anti-capitalist progressive voters for calling herself a “ capitalist to the bones.
” She professed that the United States “ needs ICE ” after so many activists called for its abolishment .
And despite having the best articulable messaging around race , and endorsements from several high-profile black activists , she never polled above 6 % with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed higher than third in any caucus or primary , including her own state of Massachusetts .
She did not deserve to poll as low as she did , especially given the other candidates lackluster campaigns , inadequate policy explanations and debate performances .
Senator Warren was my second choice candidate .
Not because she was a woman and I am concerned about electability .
Not because I am waiting for the perfect woman to run , or that the budding octogenarian that I support is a savior .
But because I truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transform people , communities , and the planet - not just one built around a singular candidate .
I did not want Warren to leave the race before anyone else .
Naively , perhaps , I assumed that the United States had shifted significantly towards an exciting future , and the candidates would wither down to Bernie or Elizabeth .
I was wrong .
After Super Tuesday , I realized that many voters desperately want this country to return to normal , even though “ normal ” is oppressive for so many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sanders supporters was never each other .
With this in mind , Senator Warren has a choice to make .
She was one of the most innovative Democratic candidates for president in this current race , and possibly in American history .
Her plans for universal childcare , significant Social Security expansion , and building a green economy would have certainly improved the lives of millions of peoples across the country .
Does she believe in her vision enough to support and rally her base around Senator Sanders - the only candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must make possible in this country ?
She absolutely must .
Her , and our collective future , requires it .

After several disappointing results following Super Tuesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren suspended her campaign on Thursday.
Two summers ago, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s chief of staff invited me to their office to discuss criminal justice reform. I was ecstatic. I lived in her district while I was a law student and really wanted her to run against Hilary Clinton. She did not then, but I assumed from the invitation that she was considering a presidential run and how to move on the upcoming vote on the First Step Act.
As I entered her office, almost every person I encountered was black or a person of color, including the person who invited me. I was shocked by the diversity, but it reflected some of what I knew about her views on racial justice. I left the meeting excited and curious about what would come next.
Then it happened. She entered the race. I watched many friends and activists eager to support her. She is charismatic, brilliant, and shared many of their politics. Warren says two words, almost musically: “black women.” We were in her thoughts, her prayers, and most importantly, her plans. During debates, she often initiated conversations on black infant and maternal mortality, and was the only candidate to discuss the plight of black transwomen. She received early endorsements from the Working Families Party and Black Womxn for Warren.
Senator Warren’s stances and campaign were strong, but faced significant challenges. During the November 2019 debate, a moderator asked whether taxes would increase to cover Medicare for All. Senator Bernie Sanders, who famously “wrote the damn bill,” said yes. After being prompted several times, Senator Warren refused to answer whether taxes would increase, answering only that costs would not. Following the debate, she announced a multi-year phase medical coverage plan that did not increase taxes, but by then, she was under severe scrutiny for not being seemingly straightforward about her ideas.
The next month, CNN broke a story accusing Senator Sanders of telling Senator Warren that a woman could not beat Donald Trump. Senator Sanders denied it, explaining that he encouraged her to run against Hilary Clinton in 2016, but acknowledged that Trump would use misogynistic tactics to undermine a woman candidate. His campaign released a decades old video of him telling a young girl that she could be president.
The progressive camps of both candidates were already fragile by the time that spat broke. Additional fights that followed on and offline about the pair have devastated relationships, perhaps irreparably, even as the two candidates will likely remain friends following the election. Many of the attacks on Warren were sexist, and representative of general attacks that she faced throughout the race.
While sexism is a legitimate explanation for Warren’s inability to obtain traction, it was not the sole, or even predominate reason. She received additional backlash from anti-capitalist progressive voters for calling herself a “capitalist to the bones.” She professed that the United States “needs ICE” after so many activists called for its abolishment. And despite having the best articulable messaging around race, and endorsements from several high-profile black activists, she never polled above 6% with black people. Overall, she never placed higher than third in any caucus or primary, including her own state of Massachusetts. She did not deserve to poll as low as she did, especially given the other candidates lackluster campaigns, inadequate policy explanations and debate performances.
Senator Warren was my second choice candidate. Not because she was a woman and I am concerned about electability. Not because I am waiting for the perfect woman to run, or that the budding octogenarian that I support is a savior. But because I truly believe that social movements and political revolution transform people, communities, and the planet - not just one built around a singular candidate. I did not want Warren to leave the race before anyone else. Naively, perhaps, I assumed that the United States had shifted significantly towards an exciting future, and the candidates would wither down to Bernie or Elizabeth. I was wrong. After Super Tuesday, I realized that many voters desperately want this country to return to normal, even though “normal” is oppressive for so many of us. The biggest threat to Warren and Sanders supporters was never each other.
With this in mind, Senator Warren has a choice to make. She was one of the most innovative Democratic candidates for president in this current race, and possibly in American history. Her plans for universal childcare, significant Social Security expansion, and building a green economy would have certainly improved the lives of millions of peoples across the country. Does she believe in her vision enough to support and rally her base around Senator Sanders - the only candidate whose policies dream big about what we must make possible in this country? She absolutely must. Her, and our collective future, requires it.


theguardian--2020-03-05--Whisper it, but anger is giving way to decency in our politics | Gaby Hinsliff

Anger is exhausting .
There is only so long most people can sustain a state of permanent fury , let alone put up with it in others .
It takes a lot of energy to remain at boiling point , ever vigilant to the next perceived outrage , and eventually most people burn out .
It was this kind of longing for the shouting to stop , almost as much as Brexit fever , that Boris Johnson arguably tapped into with his wildly misleading promise to just get the whole leaving business over and done with .
Paradoxically , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also eventually lead a polarised country towards some kind of healing .
This hardly feels like an auspicious week to launch a campaign for a kinder , more generous and socially cohesive politics , what with the home secretary being embroiled in allegations of repeatedly bullying civil servants .
But perhaps the timing of the new all-party parliamentary group Compassion in Politics , launched by the former Tory cabinet minister Lady Warsi and former Labour frontbencher Debbie Abrahams , is smarter than it looks .
The group might sound as if it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its calls to hold the line against hate speech , make lying to voters a criminal offence , and protect the most vulnerable from measures that harm them – but it ’ s not alone in exploring ways to put Humpty Dumpty back together again .
Yesterday , the former Labour minister David Lammy launched his new book , Tribes , which examines how to bring together a fractious country without smothering legitimate political grievances in the process .
Later this month , the first annual Civility in Politics awards – the brainchild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lord Wood among others – will seek to reward politicians who build bridges and reach across divides in an attempt to reduce what its founders call “ belligerence and bitterness ” in public discourse .
There are signs too of the remains of moderate Conservatism regrouping after being flattened by the Johnson juggernaut ; the centre-right thinktank Onward is to lead a cross-party initiative seeking ideas to repair the social fabric in struggling parts of Britain , many of which voted to leave .
Its initial research suggests that when asked what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Grimsby think small , cheap and local .
They want rejuvenated high streets and more neighbourliness , not permanent revolution ; it ’ s security they crave , rather than smashing everything up and starting over .
If these are green shoots , they are fragile ones .
The debate about how to revive what Jeremy Corbyn called a “ kinder , gentler politics ” has a tendency to collapse into vague platitudes about everyone being nicer to each other , and the advocates of a more conciliatory politics are not always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontbench following accusations of bullying staff , which she emphatically denies ; centrist Tories are open to the charge that if northern towns are run down , then the party running the country for the last decade should be held responsible for that .
And the late surge in the Democratic nomination race by the great conciliator , Joe Biden , comes despite lingering unease over his alleged behaviour towards women and willingness to work with rightwingers .
But away from the roiling cesspit that is social media , the public appetite is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keir Starmer is cruising to victory in the Labour leadership contest by doing little more than avoidinh offending any wing of the party too grievously , at the same time as Biden ’ s avuncular campaign is rising unexpectedly from the dead on the other side of the Atlantic , some kind of tectonic plate is shifting .
The charge against the Bidens and Starmers of this world is invariably that they ’ re bland , boring or overly complacent ; that all they really do is perpetuate a fairly dismal status quo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carpet .
Anger is seen as righteous and authentic , the absence of it as a feeble sellout that allows the enemy to prevail .
Yet nothing lets a rotten government off the hook quite like an impotently raging opposition , repeatedly losing elections to the point where it can be safely ignored .
It ’ s harder to write off a late Biden surge , however temporary , as the revenge of the smugly oblivious middle classes when his Super Tuesday trouncing of Bernie Sanders was at least partly fuelled by winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portray Starmer as some kind of establishment stooge is to misunderstand why so many former Corbyn supporters are choosing him over Rebecca Long-Bailey .
Starmer hasn ’ t asked them to give up on the manifesto they loved , but suggested that they can have pretty much all the same policies without the infighting , the poison , the creeping antisemitism around the edges and , crucially , the ultimate defeat .
Time will tell how realistic that promise is , but Starmer ’ s dominance isn ’ t just a reward for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken on Brexit ; it ’ s a sign that many Labour people are tired of losing , tired of raging , tired of factional politics seemingly calculated to create dividing lines .
This isn ’ t the return of centrism – to the chagrin of some centrists who worry the party still hasn ’ t grasped what it needs to do to win again – so much as an emerging willingness among Labour members to sue for peace with the electorate , and with each other .
If the Labour party really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Starmer , yet he has managed to make a virtue of what could have been a weakness .
If the last few years taught us anything , it ’ s that there are worse fates in life than being bored .

Anger is exhausting. There is only so long most people can sustain a state of permanent fury, let alone put up with it in others. It takes a lot of energy to remain at boiling point, ever vigilant to the next perceived outrage, and eventually most people burn out. It was this kind of longing for the shouting to stop, almost as much as Brexit fever, that Boris Johnson arguably tapped into with his wildly misleading promise to just get the whole leaving business over and done with. Paradoxically, it’s this same bone-weariness that may also eventually lead a polarised country towards some kind of healing.
This hardly feels like an auspicious week to launch a campaign for a kinder, more generous and socially cohesive politics, what with the home secretary being embroiled in allegations of repeatedly bullying civil servants. But perhaps the timing of the new all-party parliamentary group Compassion in Politics, launched by the former Tory cabinet minister Lady Warsi and former Labour frontbencher Debbie Abrahams, is smarter than it looks. The group might sound as if it’s whistling in a gale – with its calls to hold the line against hate speech, make lying to voters a criminal offence, and protect the most vulnerable from measures that harm them – but it’s not alone in exploring ways to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
Away from the roiling cesspit of social media, the public appetite is for something less viciously polarising
Yesterday, the former Labour minister David Lammy launched his new book, Tribes, which examines how to bring together a fractious country without smothering legitimate political grievances in the process. Later this month, the first annual Civility in Politics awards – the brainchild of Gordon Brown’s former adviser Lord Wood among others – will seek to reward politicians who build bridges and reach across divides in an attempt to reduce what its founders call “belligerence and bitterness” in public discourse.
There are signs too of the remains of moderate Conservatism regrouping after being flattened by the Johnson juggernaut; the centre-right thinktank Onward is to lead a cross-party initiative seeking ideas to repair the social fabric in struggling parts of Britain, many of which voted to leave. Its initial research suggests that when asked what they actually want, voters in towns such as Grimsby think small, cheap and local. They want rejuvenated high streets and more neighbourliness, not permanent revolution; it’s security they crave, rather than smashing everything up and starting over.
If these are green shoots, they are fragile ones. The debate about how to revive what Jeremy Corbyn called a “kinder, gentler politics” has a tendency to collapse into vague platitudes about everyone being nicer to each other, and the advocates of a more conciliatory politics are not always saints. Abrahams was sacked from the frontbench following accusations of bullying staff, which she emphatically denies; centrist Tories are open to the charge that if northern towns are run down, then the party running the country for the last decade should be held responsible for that. And the late surge in the Democratic nomination race by the great conciliator, Joe Biden, comes despite lingering unease over his alleged behaviour towards women and willingness to work with rightwingers.
But away from the roiling cesspit that is social media, the public appetite is for something less viciously polarising. When Keir Starmer is cruising to victory in the Labour leadership contest by doing little more than avoiding offending any wing of the party too grievously, at the same time as Biden’s avuncular campaign is rising unexpectedly from the dead on the other side of the Atlantic, some kind of tectonic plate is shifting.
The charge against the Bidens and Starmers of this world is invariably that they’re bland, boring or overly complacent; that all they really do is perpetuate a fairly dismal status quo, while sweeping objections politely under the carpet. Anger is seen as righteous and authentic, the absence of it as a feeble sellout that allows the enemy to prevail. Yet nothing lets a rotten government off the hook quite like an impotently raging opposition, repeatedly losing elections to the point where it can be safely ignored.
It’s harder to write off a late Biden surge, however temporary, as the revenge of the smugly oblivious middle classes when his Super Tuesday trouncing of Bernie Sanders was at least partly fuelled by winning big among black voters. And to portray Starmer as some kind of establishment stooge is to misunderstand why so many former Corbyn supporters are choosing him over Rebecca Long-Bailey.
Starmer hasn’t asked them to give up on the manifesto they loved, but suggested that they can have pretty much all the same policies without the infighting, the poison, the creeping antisemitism around the edges and, crucially, the ultimate defeat. Time will tell how realistic that promise is, but Starmer’s dominance isn’t just a reward for the stance he is seen to have taken on Brexit; it’s a sign that many Labour people are tired of losing, tired of raging, tired of factional politics seemingly calculated to create dividing lines.
This isn’t the return of centrism – to the chagrin of some centrists who worry the party still hasn’t grasped what it needs to do to win again – so much as an emerging willingness among Labour members to sue for peace with the electorate, and with each other. If the Labour party really craved excitement it wouldn’t want Starmer, yet he has managed to make a virtue of what could have been a weakness. If the last few years taught us anything, it’s that there are worse fates in life than being bored.


theguardian--2020-03-05--Joe 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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 ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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.


theguardian--2020-03-05--Elizabeth Warren: key moments from her 2020 presidential campaign

Speaking from outside her home in Cambridge , Massachusetts , Elizabeth Warren said on Thursday she had 'no regrets ' @ @ @ @ @ was ending her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination .
Here 's a look back @ @ @ @ @ moments from Warren 's campaign trail

Speaking from outside her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren said on Thursday she had 'no regrets' as she announced that she was ending her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Here's a look back at some of the key moments from Warren's campaign trail