President Joe Biden secured a significant victory on Super Tuesday, the pivotal night of the 2024 presidential nomination race, with little opposition. He dominated every Democratic contest, except the American territory of Samoa.
Tuesday’s results bring President Biden one step closer to a potential rematch with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.
Border security, inflation, abortion, and the conflict in Gaza were some of the big issues that drove voters to the polls on Super Tuesday.
Despite winning all 15 states, President Biden was unexpectedly defeated by Jason Palmer, a little-known presidential candidate, in the Democratic caucuses in Samoa.
In addition, voters in seven states had the opportunity to cast a protest vote against President Biden over his handling of the Gaza conflict. For example, in Minnesota, the “uncommitted” vote garnered over 19 percent, while in North Carolina, the “no preference” vote received more than 12 percent.
As President Biden is expected to officially secure his party’s nomination, a growing number of his supporters are feeling uneasy about his age.
A New York Times/Siena College poll released last week showed that President Biden’s age is increasingly worrying Americans, including those who supported him in 2020.
Biden Looks to Taylor Swift
Music superstar Taylor Swift, who has over 280 million followers on the social media platform Instagram, urged her fans to show up for Super Tuesday.“Today, March 5, is the Presidential Primary in Tennessee and 16 other states and territories,” Ms. Swift wrote on her Instagram story. “I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today.”
Despite media speculations in recent weeks, Ms. Swift has not endorsed President Biden yet.
“Where are you getting this information? It’s classified!” President Biden joked when asked if there was an “active conspiracy” between him and Ms. Swift.
President Biden said that the superstar endorsed him in 2020.
Protest Votes
Tuesday’s results came after the incumbent scored a decisive victory in Michigan’s Feb. 27 Democratic presidential primary, winning over 81 percent of the votes. In Michigan, “uncommitted,” the protest vote against the president had garnered around 13 percent, much higher than expected.Like Michigan, protest votes were cast in multiple states against President Biden during the Super Tuesday for his handling of the Hamas-Israel war.
According to early results, over 19 percent of Minnesota voters chose “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary. Protest votes were also recorded in other states: Alabama (6 percent), Colorado (7.6 percent), Iowa (3.9 percent), Massachusetts (9.2 percent), North Carolina (12.7 percent), and Tennessee (7.9 percent).
The behavior of these protest voters in the general election remains uncertain. While some individuals plan to stay home, others have expressed their intention to vote for President Trump.
Voter Reactions
Millions of voters across 16 states and one U.S. territory cast their votes Tuesday for their preferred presidential candidates on the biggest primary day of the year. Throughout the day, Epoch Times reporters were on the ground in more than 10 states, asking voters what they thought about the candidates.Doug Gwost from Shoreview, Minnesota, was an early voter who came out to show his support for President Biden.
“Well, there’s some [policies] I don’t support. I think he has to do more about the border. And he’s probably going to be doing that between now and the election,” Mr. Gowst said.
He was not concerned about President Biden’s age and cognitive ability.
“He’s only three years older than me, and I’m not senile. I like Biden,” he said.
Julie McClanahan, 65, from Lovettsville, Virginia, voted for President Biden in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.
“Joe Biden’s done a good job considering what he was handed,” she said, listing President Biden’s infrastructure investment in the Inflation Reduction Act and position on abortion as the main reason for her endorsement.
“He’s a steady hand right now. I think we need that.”
Nedra French voted for President Biden in the Democratic Primary in Central Arkansas. But she expressed her frustration with his policies.
She said that his administration is taking “care of people in another country more than they do our people.”
She mentioned specifically the homeless population in the United States and funding going overseas: “They spend all this money over there for these folks in Gaza and this war. What do they do for our people?”
‘Incredible Comeback’
The unsurprising outcome of Super Tuesday this year stood in sharp contrast to President Biden’s experience as a nominee four years ago, when his prospects changed for the 2020 presidential race. He made an impressive comeback, winning most states on Super Tuesday in March 2020. It was quite a surprising victory for Joe Biden, putting him in a tight race with then-frontrunner Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.The next day, then-President Donald Trump called Joe Biden’s Super Tuesday performance an “incredible comeback.”
