Biden takes early lead over Sanders in Michigan, wins Mississippi and Missouri

By Michael Martina and John Whitesides

 

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden greets workers during a campaign stop at the FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) Mack Assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 10, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

 

DETROIT (Reuters) - Joe Biden took an early lead over rival Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential contest in Michigan on Tuesday and was projected to capture Missouri and Mississippi as six states made their choices in the race to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump.

 

The race in Michigan was too close to call as the last polls closed in the state, television networks and Edison Research said, but Biden led Sanders by 53% to 42% with 26% of precincts reporting in the state, the day's biggest prize.

 

Biden, the former vice president under Barack Obama, had been a heavy favourite over Sanders in Mississippi and Missouri and was projected to win easily based on exit polls and early results.

 

Polls also closed in North Dakota with no early results. The polls close later in Washington and Idaho.

 

Biden, 77, was looking to take a big step toward the nomination to face the Republican Trump in the Nov. 3 election after becoming the front-runner with a series of sweeping wins over Sanders in last week's Super Tuesday contests.

 

Sanders, a democratic socialist and U.S. senator from Vermont, hoped an upset win in Michigan would keep his dwindling White House hopes alive. Sanders, 78, won a stunning upset over Hillary Clinton in Michigan in 2016 that ensured a long nominating fight - something Biden hopes to avoid this time.

 

A total of 352 of the nearly 4,000 delegates to July's Democratic convention were up for grabs in the six states voting on Tuesday, with Michigan the biggest with 125 delegates.

 

A Biden breakthrough in Michigan, along with his big victories in Missouri and Mississippi, could prove too much for Sanders to overcome. By the end of March, about two-thirds of the delegates will be allocated.

 

Biden was powered to the early victories on Tuesday by strong support from a broad coalition of groups, including women, African Americans, those aged 45 and older, and all but the very liberal, according to exit polls conducted by Edison Research.

 

As in earlier states, Biden's support was especially strong among black voters. In Mississippi, where two-thirds of the electorate was African-American, Biden won more than eight of every 10 black voters.

 

Washington and Idaho also held contests on Tuesday. There was no immediate projection for North Dakota, and polls close later in the three other states.

 

As fears spread about the coronavirus, voters in Michigan said they trusted Biden more than Sanders to handle a major crisis, according to exit polls.

 

The polling in Michigan showed about half of voters more trusted Biden in a crisis, compared to one-third who more trusted Sanders, Biden's last viable rival in the race.

 

In Washington, the state hit hardest by coronavirus and the second-largest state to vote on Tuesday, eight in 10 voters voiced concern about the outbreak's effects, with a plurality supporting Biden, according to the Edison Research exit polls.

 

Both candidates called off planned rallies in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, which has rattled markets and prompted Democrats to criticize the Trump administration's response.

 

The campaigns said they were following guidance from Ohio public health officials. Until now, Democratic candidates as well as Trump, 73, have largely continued to hold large-scale events despite the outbreak.

 

Since last week's Super Tuesday romps, Biden has roared into the national lead in polling and delegates, knocked out all remaining viable rivals except Sanders and swept up a wave of endorsements from former contenders such as Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.

 

Biden, who has touted the Obama administration's decision to bail out the auto industry, made a morning campaign stop at Detroit's first new auto assembly plant in decades, owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.

 

"Unions built the country," Biden shouted through a bullhorn. "You're the best damn workers in the world."

 

But his visit was marred by a clash with one worker who suggested he planned to confiscate Americans' guns. Biden, whose propensity to veer off script occasionally causes self-inflicted wounds, snapped at the worker using an obscenity.

 

Sanders has attacked Biden for supporting international trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is unpopular among many of Michigan's workers who say it has cost the state jobs. As Biden left the plant, video showed some workers chanting, "Trump!"

 

(Reporting by Michael Martina and Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by John Whitesides in Washington; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Howard Goller)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-11

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Democrats must love to hate Trump too much to even try to beat him. 

Edited March 11, 20206 yr by Calach

He’s making a clean sweep time to fire up the trump slandering lie machine to attack an rival it’s all he’s got 

All indications are it will be a Biden/Hillary ticket with an agreement that Biden be euthanized immediately after his inauguration.

It looks like Biden has taken Michigan too.

 

Time for Sanders to drop out and endorse Biden.

 

 

45 minutes ago, webfact said:

Biden, whose propensity to veer off script occasionally causes self-inflicted wounds, snapped at the worker using an obscenity.

A great pick for president. If he loses it at a worker. I can just imagine how the debates are going to go.

Edited March 11, 20206 yr by thaibeachlovers

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It looks like Biden has taken Michigan too.

 

Time for Sanders to drop out and endorse Biden.

 

 

 

It's time for Biden to court progressives.

Just now, Kelsall said:

All indications are it will be a Biden/Hillary ticket with an agreement that Biden be euthanized immediately after his inauguration.

You’re letting your Hillary fixation show again, it just popped out as another one of your trolling nonsense comments.

16 minutes ago, Calach said:

Democrats must love to hate Trump too much to even try to beat him. 

That's some dizzying spin dude. 

Just now, lannarebirth said:

 

It's time for Biden to court progressives.

Which he will do.

4 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

All indications are it will be a Biden/Hillary ticket with an agreement that Biden be euthanized immediately after his inauguration.

Fake. 

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

A great pick for president 55555555555555555

Oh we know the experience with world leaders working within the government and the last time the economy was in trouble he was part of the team that saved us so yes it’s a definite improvement over trump! Oh and I know you are trolling lol

Edited March 11, 20206 yr by Tug

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

7 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

All indications are it will be a Biden/Hillary ticket with an agreement that Biden be euthanized immediately after his inauguration.

You’re letting your Hillary fixation show again, it just popped out as another one of your trolling nonsense comments.

Yeah, some of these guys are letting Hillary live rent-free in their heads.  Sick individuals.  As Trump would say....SAD!

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

Which he will do.

I think so too. But a lot has to do with Bernie. He must know by now or will soon that he has no path to the nomination. I'm sure he also gets that reelecting 45 is an existential threat to American democracy. Will he be big enough to lead his movement followers forward to get behind Biden and also to use the power he does still have in losing to influence the Biden administration policy agenda. For example a more robust public option forgetting the politically impossible even if Bernie had been president Medicare for all.

Health care will be the top issue. It already was but covid 19 the issue will be on steroids. 

13 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It looks like Biden has taken Michigan too.

 

Time for Sanders to drop out and endorse Biden.

 

 

Not likely he's ready to do that yet. He's a stubborn old Yankee. 

15 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

All indications are it will be a Biden/Hillary ticket with an agreement that Biden be euthanized immediately after his inauguration.

 

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Fake. 

No, it's true.  They've already drawn up the paperwork.

Winning!

 

This time with a link...

 

Americans Under 45 Are Breaking Hard Toward The Democrats — And For Good Reason

 

 

4 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

 

No, it's true.  They've already drawn up the paperwork.

 

Pure speculation without any link to a factual source. Let's see this so called "paperwork" or even a mention of it from a credited source. (Breitbart News need not apply)

Just now, Silurian said:

 

Pure speculation without any link to a factual source. Let's see this so called "paperwork" or even a mention of it from a credited source. (Breitbart News need not apply)

Duh.  It was a joke.

Biden had been running for president since 1988. I don't think he even won one state primary before this year. Correct me if I'm wrong. Now it's clear he's going to be nominated. Yeah sure he's another old white guy but if that isn't an inspirational life story of persistence and determination I don't know what is. Maybe he will pick Amy Klobuchar as VP on a true American grit ticket. 

Edited March 11, 20206 yr by Jingthing

7 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Duh.  It was a joke.

A very lame one at that. 

I don't know what recreational drug Joe Biden is taking,     but it sure isn't speed..................................

6 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

I don't know what recreational drug Joe Biden is taking,     but it sure isn't speed..................................

Well it's certainly better than the idiot-pill that Trump and his supporters gorge on.

9 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

I don't know what recreational drug Joe Biden is taking,     but it sure isn't speed..................................

Old Joe gave a nice vice victory speech this evening, paying lipservice to the Sanders supporters. If he comes across with something more tangible, he should win in a landslide, assuming Trump doesn't resign before then.

Edited March 11, 20206 yr by lannarebirth

1 hour ago, Kelsall said:

All indications are it will be a Biden/Hillary ticket with an agreement that Biden be euthanized immediately after his inauguration.

What about father Biden being the candidate, with son Hunter his running mate?

To the understandably disappointed Bernie brothers and sisters. Don't despair. Biden is not Bernie but he's probably more progressive than you might think. He just mentioned today he is for health care access as a right. Remember the gay marriage issue? It was Biden that pushed Obama in the direction of supporting that not the other way around. If elected and he needs to be elected you might just be pleasantly surprised. 

Edited March 11, 20206 yr by Jingthing

3 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

What about father Biden being the candidate, with son Hunter his running mate?

Ridiculous. 

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

To the understandably disappointed Bernie brothers and sisters. Don't despair. Biden is not Bernie but he's probably more progressive than you might think. He just mentioned today he is for health care access as right. Remember the gay marriage issue? It was Biden that pushed Obama in the direction of supporting that. If elected and he needs to be elected you might just be pleasantly surprised. 

I'm certain the Russians will be going after Bernie supporters soon with the same old conspiracy theories that this primary was rigged against Bernie by the establishment.  I just hope the Bernie Bros don't buy into it.

Bernie is definitely feeling the burn, again, so it "back to the future"  Obama (take 2)

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

To the understandably disappointed Bernie brothers and sisters. Don't despair. Biden is not Bernie but he's probably more progressive than you might think. He just mentioned today he is for health care access as a right. Remember the gay marriage issue? It was Biden that pushed Obama in the direction of supporting that not the other way around. If elected and he needs to be elected you might just be pleasantly surprised. 

I like my healthcare as it is now, worldwide coverage. Medicare for all would most likely put an end to that.