Government Watch / Politics

Dem South Carolina Primary Switch Undercuts Progressives

AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott

Despite promising to be the “most progressive” president in American history, largely fulfilling that pledge, and filling his administration with bona fide left-wing radicals, President Joe Biden has nonetheless struggled to appease the leftist fringe of his party. Now, it appears that for the purposes of his own renomination, at least, Biden may be trying to sideline progressives rather than convince them. This is seemingly the obvious implication of the Democratic National Committee’s shocking move to reorganize the Democratic presidential primary calendar for the first time in decades.

In an announcement earlier this month, the DNC officially removed Iowa and New Hampshire from their coveted status as the first primary and caucus states in the Democratic primary schedule, instead handing the first-in-the-nation primary spot to South Carolina – the state that salvaged Biden’s dying campaign in 2020 and sent him on a path to the Democratic nomination. The news is a significant blow to residents in Iowa and New Hampshire, which have long enjoyed the attention from the media and candidates that comes along with hosting the first contests.

Activists have pressed the Democratic Party to reorganize the primary calendar for years, asserting that the traditional model of Iowa and New Hampshire voting first is “racist” because these states are disproportionately white relative to the Democrat Party’s primary base. Biden hinted his support for changing which state goes first ahead of the decision, saying, “For decades, Black voters, in particular, have been the backbone of the Democratic Party but have been pushed to the back of the early primary process.” He went on to recommend abolishing all caucuses as well. The 2020 Democratic Iowa Caucus was plagued by technical issues that resulted in the final vote tallies being delayed for several days.

But while the far-left of the Democrat Party has applauded Biden for leading the decision to reorganize the primary calendar, the “racial justice” rhetoric may in fact be convenient cover for the Democrat establishment to dilute the influence of progressive voters in the primary; in recent history, both Iowa and New Hampshire voters have supported more progressive candidates viewed as having less of a chance to prevail in a general election.

In 2020, Bernie Sanders won both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, with Biden finishing 4th in Iowa and 5th in New Hampshire.

Four years earlier in 2016, Sanders walloped eventual nominee Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire and came in second to her by a mere 0.3% of the vote in Iowa. In both cases, the party establishment was forced to throw all its weight behind Clinton and Biden in order to avoid what they viewed as the disaster scenario of the socialist Sanders winning the nomination.

After Biden’s poor performance in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2020, political insiders predicted that Joe Biden would drop out of the race soon. One Vanity Fair reporter infamously predicted that Biden would be the “Jeb Bush of 2020.”

With his path to victory narrowing, Biden went to South Carolina and pleaded with Black Democrat leaders to stand by him and resurrect his campaign. He successfully secured a critical endorsement from South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn and was able to carry the state with 48.7% of the overall vote, saving his campaign.

Seen in this context, Democrats’ decision to make South Carolina the first primary state appears to be less about “diversity” and more about ensuring that Biden begins 2024 with built-in protection against any potential primary challenge. In another more cynical light, South Carolina enjoying the attention of first-in-the-nation status is a “reward” for backing Biden, while New Hampshire and Iowa are being “punished” for backing more radical candidates.

Yet after acquiescing to progressive policy demands for decades and elevating one radical after another to key positions of power, Democrats may find that changing the order of primary dates does little in the long term to salvage what’s left of the party’s credibility as a mainstream political force.

Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.


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jocko
2 months ago

DEPORT ALL liberals, illegals AND THE ONCE HONORABLE, fbi, STAT, TO MAGA

jocko
2 months ago

ALL libs = CANCER AND ARE THE ENEMY OF OUR NATION

tika
3 months ago

too little too late. the dye is cast.

GTPatriot
3 months ago

So New Hampshire and Iowa are racist. What state is not racist ? Isn’t everything and
everybody racist ? Aren’t we all contaminated with the same disease ? Thats what they tell
us.. Is there an anti-racist immunization ?

Gail Tubbs
3 months ago
Reply to  GTPatriot

Fauci has it.

Rebecca
3 months ago

If everything that comes out of Joe’s mouth is the truth, by his own definition, he’s a racist. His wife is a racist. All of his children and grandchildren are racist. Why? Again by his definition he and his are Anglo. He has money to burn. A house etc in Delaware. Etc etc etc. Now that racist wants to tell others when and how to vote. No thank you. I’ll take my values and principles and keep going down the road fighting for my country. Take your tribe overseas.

Jackie
3 months ago
Reply to  Rebecca

I don’t think Joe knows how to tell the truth. I believe he is a classic pathological liar!!

Dale Single
3 months ago
Reply to  Rebecca

Joe was a racist, even before his sleepwalking gov. career!

Frank
3 months ago

When it comes to the primaries it should be the states with the smallest votes voting first and the lagest voting last. I am sick of seeing the winner chosen well before it is over.

Jackie
3 months ago
Reply to  Frank

I would like to see open primaries because I am not a Democrat and I am not a Republican and I would like the ability to chose the candidates not just vote for the Democrat or Republican that the party’s have chosen!! That make me feel like the candidates are already not my President, they belong to the Democrat Party or the Republican Party!!

Robin Walter Boyd
3 months ago

The most appalling aspect of this issue is how Progressives managed to make it racist. The main thing keeping racism alive are those who constantly claim everything is racist. All these race baiting Progressives want to do is to keep dividing US by our ethnic backgrounds, which is so blended today that we all could be considered mutts.

edward
3 months ago

that is their intention!

AZDreamer
3 months ago

I am constantly annoyed when articles keep referring to Democrats and the Democrat party as Democratic. Everything is Democratic. Well, that’s just NOT true. Democrats are NOT democratic in any sense of the word. Nothing having to do with the leftists in our nation is democratic. I wish writers would stop using that and simply refer to them and everything they do as democrat!!!!

NewDay
3 months ago

Dems are looking for states where they can easily manipulate the early voting and get the candidate they want out in front, not the candidate that the people want.

Kdesq
3 months ago

As has been shown since 2020, and now in 2022, especially here in Arizona, it doesn’t matter who they pick. They pick. There’s no way Hobbs won the election here in Arizona. There’s no way May’s won the attorney general’s office. All of this because of the cheating that’s been going on since 2016 in Maricopa county.

Honey
3 months ago

if it is true, as it ought to be, that fewer than 40% want Biden again, even of Democrats, what does it matter what happens in the Dem primary anywhere?
The important thing is Republicans must win everything in 2024 and finally fix everything, if we survive these next over one and a half years.

anna hubert
3 months ago
Reply to  Honey

Dem party is a cheat and a liar Lone ranger is gone Who will administer the justice they deserve

Kyle Buy you some guns,and learn how to shoot
3 months ago

This whole thing is like a gaame with them. Kyle L.

Kyle Buy you some guns,and learn how to shoot
3 months ago

Hold all primeries the first week in June. Kyle L.

Kdesq
3 months ago

And only allow them one month or at most two to campaign.

Cookiepress
3 months ago

One thing that is not mentioned in this article is that you do not have to register for a party in SC and can vote in whichever party’s primary you want.

HocasPocas
3 months ago
Reply to  Cookiepress

This tells me that it will be another selection day

P2burner
3 months ago

…”asserting that the traditional model of Iowa and New Hampshire voting first is “racist” because these states are disproportionately white relative to the Democrat Party’s primary base”

I pretty much had to stop reading the article at this point. I guess that anytime Blacks are not put first AT ALL TIMES, is just racist. Hogwash.

NewDay
3 months ago
Reply to  P2burner

The dems had to say it, they are slipping little by little with the black vote and they are desperate to hold on to the black voters by using the race word. Hopefully blacks will continute to see the hypocricy of the dem party and support conservative candidates who are the real champions for equality.

Jeri
3 months ago

South Carolina is still a red state…first democrat primary or not.

HocasPocas
3 months ago
Reply to  Jeri

We will see what happens in the next selection

Ann S
3 months ago

Being a candidate for president is not just running for that position and hope the voters will vote for you.
It’s a coup plotted in the back rooms by those that want to destroy America and keep power over the people for eternity.

Ed G
3 months ago

I’ll keep repeating it on the slim hope that the GOP finally hears me: Dem politicians don’t care in the least about convincing voters their policies are best. They care only about getting voters, regardless of how uninvolved and uniformed, to pull the lever. And they’re damn good at it!

Nelly
3 months ago

I’m not sure why the Dems picked So Carolina, didn’t the voters elect a Republican Governor? Gov McMaster won by 17 points. I know Rep Clyburn is there too but Come on man! Pandering to one race while killing them and their job opportunities thanks to crime, abortion, teacher’s union and open borders! Very sad to see this inept guy running for anything, ever! Lord help us all.

Jeri
3 months ago
Reply to  Nelly

Clyburn is just a wind bag. Cracks his plantation whip and all the SC line up and do as told. I believe he owes reparations to his generational slaves.

Cookiepress
3 months ago
Reply to  Nelly

There are 7 districts in SC and Clyburn is the only democrat who won one.

NewDay
3 months ago
Reply to  Nelly

Since Clyburn helped Bidens election shouldn’t Clyburn share in the blame for high inflation, dangerous boarders and high energy prices. These are not racist problems, they affect all Americans.

David Millikan
3 months ago

Another action by the democrats to BRIBE black voters and use race as an excuse.
Pretty chicken of democrats.

HocasPocas
3 months ago
Reply to  David Millikan

I don’t think you people give black people the credit that they deserve. They don’t want to see their country being destroyed either. The demons are allowing all the invaders to cross the borders because they lost all American citizens respect. You have to give respect to get respect and the demons have no respect for anyone or anything that represents freedom.

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