With early victories in Vermont, Utah, and Colorado, many felt that Democratic dark horse Bernie Sanders was emerging as a clear favorite -- at least, until last night's Super Tuesday saw Joe Biden surging into the frontrunner position. Though Sanders locked down a victory in California, Biden came through with a total of ten projected wins, including Texas, Minnesota, Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, and Massachusetts. A surprising turn, given than many had written off the former Vice President over a seemingly tepid campaign.
Biden himself acknowledged the unflattering narrative during his victory speech. "Just a few days ago the press and the pundits declared the campaign dead," said Biden. "And then came South Carolina and they had something to say about it. They said when it got to Super Tuesday it would be over. Well, it may be over for the other guy!"
On that note, many were left wondering how the momentum-riding Sanders came up so short. Essentially, it all came down to the fact that a sizeable portion of his base simply did not vote. Once again, the narrative that the older generation dictates the political direction holds steadfast -- though can somebody who decided to skip the polls truly complain about that? With the race tighter than ever Biden and Sanders are destined to dance for the big title. Expect a long and contentious road lined with infighting and controversies ripe for the picking.
One has to wonder whether either candidate would ever get behind the other, should it come time to consolidate for the big one: going against Donald Trump will not be easy, and a fractured Democratic party is hardly the ideal champion come battle-time. With Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg yet to make a decision vis-a-vis their own candidacy, there's no telling which turns this wild ride is liable to take.