“Tomorrow this campaign goes national”, Clinton said to a loud roar as she thanked supporters in Columbia, South Carolina, where she emerged with a clearer path to the nomination.
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Some Clinton backers, emboldened by the heightened chance of a Trump nomination, have reaffirmed their support for the former secretary of state, saying that it is she, not Sanders, who is best equipped to take down Trump in a head-to-head showdown in November. Sanders stands back and listens, while Clinton simply ignores them and have them promptly removed.
“The aircraft carrier is definitely shifting to the general election this week”, a top Democrat close to Clinton said, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid getting ahead of the campaign and alienating Democrats who have yet to vote. Still supporters in North Carolina are confident he’s the candidate to win over Democrats here.
During a raucous victory rally, Clinton briefly reveled in her sweeping support from SC voters, hugging backers and posing with them for selfie photos.
Exit polls showed Clinton winning big in the state with nearly every constituency.
“Despite what you hear, we don’t need to make America great again. America has never stopped being great”, she said, reading off a teleprompter. Her victory may have delivered a crippling blow to the campaign of her only competitor Bernie Sanders whose challenge had seemed to be gaining momentum during the party’s first three primary votes.
Sen. Marco Rubio, aides to Clinton believe, is also a worrisome foe.
Sanders receives some delegates even if he loses. Former President Bill Clinton made statements during that campaign that were seen by some, including influential South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, as questioning the legitimacy of the black presidential contender.
Following her victory in South Carolina, Clinton has 546 delegates, including super delegates, the party leaders and members of Congress who can support any candidate.
With just two days separating SC and Super Tuesday – the single biggest day in the primary race – Mr Sanders is left with little time to pick up the pieces. What we don’t know is how many of these unaffiliated voters will break for Sanders.
Like New Hampshire before us, polls here suggest heavy Independent voter turnout favors Kasich for second in the GOP race, and would help ensure a Trump tidal wave. “That would mean Sanders needs to win 58% of remaining delegates…to pull even with her. That’s virtually impossible for him to do”.
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The self-described democratic socialist who talks about launching a “political revolution”, has successfully drawn on anger building in the country by those fed up with the so-called billionaire class, particularly young and rural white voters who have given him him millions in small donations. Clinton would be held to 55 percent in delegate-rich Texas and Virginia; 57 percent in Arkansas, where her husband was governor and she was first lady; 60 percent in Alabama and Georgia, two states where half the Democratic electorate is black; 55 percent in Tennessee; and 58 percent in American Samoa. “We are going to compete for every vote in every state, we are not taking anything and not taking anyone for granted”, Clinton said in her victory speech. “We are not taking anything and we aren’t taking anything for granted”.
