Super Tuesday III: The Coronavirus Primariesa
This Super Tuesday, while the country was practicing “Social Distancing” amidst the coronavirus pandemic, primary elections were held in Florida, Illinois, and Arizona. The Ohio primary, which was initially supposed to take place on the same day, was canceled and postponed last minute. Most polling stations practiced social distancing and employed a one-in, one-out policy, while others ordered voters to stay 6 feet apart. In Arizona, voters got hand sanitizer immediately before entering one polling place, and polling stations were moved away from nursing homes, etc.
Biden scored a sweeping victory in all three states, where the most substantial amount of delegates are at stake. The victories in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois will allow him to substantially expand his delegate lead over Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont as they battle for the Democratic nomination.
The coronavirus pandemic meant Biden delivered his victory speech in a live-stream from his home instead of a rally. He offered a unifying message meant to bring the Democratic primary to its end and turn the party’s focus to taking on President Donald Trump.
“Sen. Sanders and his supporters have brought a remarkable passion and tenacity to all of these issues, and together they have shifted the fundamental conversation in this country,” Biden said.
“So let me say especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Sen. Sanders: I hear you. I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do. Our goal as a campaign and my goal as a candidate for president is to unify this party, and then to unify the nation.”
The speech was clearly an olive branch for Sanders and his supporters. It was humble and reflected the former vice president’s current political standing with the left-wing of the Democratic party: His lack of support from young voters is worrying for establishment democrats.
As pressure mounts for Sanders to drop out of the race, he completed ignored the results focusing instead on the coronavirus pandemic.
“In this moment of crisis, it is imperative that we stand together,” Sanders said, adding that the US must brace for “an economic meltdown that will impact tens of millions of workers in this country.”