5 Major Takeaways from Super Tuesday on a big night for Biden and Trump

Trump and Biden took their positions for the upcoming election. Samoa, America, had a surprise. Nikki Haley won a state. Democrats further down the ballot got ready for war in two difficult states.

A presidential contest headed towards a rematch of the 2020 election has gained additional clarity due to primaries and caucuses held in 16 states as well as American Samoa.

 

However, the Super Tuesday competitions have also provided the first hints regarding races further down the ballot that may influence which party controls Congress and state legislatures in November.

 

It is still planned for former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden to square off again in the autumn. In the race for the Democratic nomination, Biden kept up his lead over the weak opposition. Additionally, even in states that appeared more favorable to her, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley was still having trouble winning over Republican voters.

Biden Faces Fewer Speed Bumps, but ….

This was one of the few surprises of the evening: Biden was defeated by political unknown and businessman Jason Palmer in his first 2024 campaign, the American Samoa caucus.

That could make for an unpleasant headline over the next day or so. However, the outcome, which represents fewer than 100 votes cast, means that it will probably go down as a historical footnote. Furthermore, although Biden suffered due to the “uncommitted” protest vote in Michigan last week, the endeavor only managed to secure two delegates. Super Tuesday served as a reminder that, despite Biden’s dismal general election polling, a serious challenger to his renomination has not yet surfaced.

For Biden, it was another night of simple victories. It wasn’t until his fourth White House bid that he won in Iowa. He also dominated in Minnesota, the home state of Rep. Dean Phillips, the Democrat who is most determined to unseat him. Phillips, who came in fourth in Michigan behind “uncommitted” and Marianne Williamson, who wasn’t running at the time, was expected to come in third in his home state, once more behind “uncommitted.”

 

“I’m sorry, but Joe Biden, Uncommitted, Marianne Williamson, and Nikki Haley seem more appealing to Democrats than I do,” Phillips jokingly said on X.

Haley Barely Makes a Dent

The GOP’s calculations aren’t significantly altered by Haley’s victory in Vermont, her second following Saturday’s primary in Washington, D.C. If anything, it highlights the special relationship she has with followers of well-liked Republican Governor Phil Scott, who is opposed to Trump and has a moderate political stance. Scott is the first endorsement Haley has ever supported, and he helped her win.

However, Haley still behind Trump significantly in the number of delegates. In two other states that had seemed to hold out some hope, Massachusetts and Virginia, she also lost to Trump by significant scores.

She had indicated that the 40% mark was significant after reaching it in South Carolina and New Hampshire, but it looked like she would end up with less than that in both states. She also raised doubts about Trump’s ability to defeat Biden this November.

 

Nevertheless, more people are starting to agree with Haley when she warns of Trump’s electoral weaknesses. During his appearance on Fox News on Tuesday night, Karl Rove—the Republican strategist who spearheaded the campaigns of former President George W. Bush—held up a dry-erase board showing the percentage of votes that Haley received in various states and said that Trump “ought to be concerned about unifying the Republican Party.”

A Haley representative described the team as “jubilant” and “happy warriors” as the results came in. Where Haley, who spent the evening in South Carolina, goes from here was not immediately apparent, though. She wasn’t anticipated to speak on Tuesday night, in contrast to Trump.

Meddling pays off in California

In the contest for the late Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat, Representative Adam Schiff recognised an opening and seized it.

The two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, advance to the general election in California’s special primary. Thus, Democratic front-runner Schiff, who is also a big fundraiser, invested funds in advertisements designed to give Republican Steve Garvey—a former MLB player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres—an advantage against two other Democrats.

 

As a consequence, Schiff and Garvey made it to November. Rep. Barbara Lee and Rep. Katie Porter, the other leading Democrat in the race, were excluded.

MAGA makes a move in North Carolina

North Carolina is one of the two presidential swing states that will choose new governors this autumn, along with New Hampshire, therefore it will undoubtedly hold the most competitive gubernatorial election of 2024.

 

Trump-approved One of the nation’s most divisive candidates for governor, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, won the GOP primary handily on Tuesday and will face off against other contenders in the general election. Democrats, who put Attorney General Josh Stein forth for governor, are keen to portray Robinson as a radical when it comes to LGBTQ, educational, and reproductive rights.

 

Democrats also intend to highlight his record of making controversial remarks. Robinson has called public school teachers “wicked people,” called the LGBTQ community “filth,” and questioned the historical veracity of the Holocaust, labeling it as “hogwash.”

 

The initial atmosphere there is similar to the 2022 midterm elections when Democrats effectively mobilized against Trump-endorsed, MAGA-style candidates for governor in Pennsylvania and Arizona. That year, neither Biden nor Trump were running for office. But even in cases where a Republican wins the state’s electoral votes, Democrats can still win the governorship, as seen by Roy Cooper’s two terms in office.

Allred Tackles the opportunity in Taxes

One of the Democrats’ most sought-after additions this election cycle is Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker who is their most recent elite candidate to defeat Sen. Ted Cruz of the Republican Party.

Allred had to win a primary first, though. Furthermore, it was unclear if state senator Roland Gutierrez, who positioned himself as the real progressive, would receive enough votes to force a runoff. With a resounding majority, Allred can now bypass a rematch with Gutierrez and concentrate on the more difficult challenge of unseating Cruz in the general election. 

 

Although Cruz is despised by the left, Texas is still a very conservative state. However, as Beto O’Rourke demonstrated in 2018, a likable Democrat can collect a significant amount of money from progressive donors and turn the state into a close race.

Allred stated on Tuesday, “Ted Cruz has spent the last 12 years using us against each other.” “I will be the senator who unites us; it is time for us to have such a senator. Guys, we’ve had enough of “me.”

 

In the statement he released following his own resounding primary win, Cruz made no mention of Allred.

 

“This is about Texas, about building bridges, defending our cadets, developing highways, generating employment, and safeguarding the state that we hold in such high regard,” Cruz declared. “It’s more crucial than ever to stand together and oppose the radical left’s attempts to undermine the qualities that make this state exceptional.”