Biden vows to improve; Buttigieg drops out

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Joe Biden fought to unite the Democratic Party’s moderate wing behind his candidacy after scoring a comeback victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary that forced leading moderate rival Pete Buttigieg out of the race on Sunday. Biden vowed to improve his campaign operation, his fundraising haul — and even his own performance — as the race pushes toward Super Tuesday. He warned of a “stark choice” between him and Sanders, while making the case he is the candidate that can win up and down the ballot and in states beyond those voting next week.

“I feel good,” Biden said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I can win and I can bring along Democratic victories.”

Biden saturated the airwaves with backto-back interviews after Saturday’s win, which came on the strength of African American support and at a perilous moment in his 2020 bid. He needed an emphatic rebound after underwhelming performances in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

The race now pivots to the 14 states from Maine to California that vote on Tuesday in what in effect will be a national primary in a race increasingly becoming a matchup between the two powerhouses representing divergent paths for the party.

Top rival Bernie Sanders led in fundraising hauls announced Sunday with an eye-popping $46.5 million for February, his campaign said. The senator said it’s not the total amount that should impress but the enthusiasm of working people fueling his candidacy.

“No campaign out there has a stronger grassroots movement than we do,” Sanders said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “That’s how you beat Trump.“

Pressure is mounting to prevent a prolonged battle that could stretch into summer as seven candidates remain in the Democrats’ quest to find the strongest possible nominee to take on President Donald Trump in November.

The lagging candidates are being pushed to justify their campaigns or step aside so Biden can engage in a more direct matchup against Sanders, who heads into the coming week eager to surpass his rivals in amassing delegates for the nomination.

Buttigieg was the first to fall. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who put together a surprisingly strong presidential bid, informed his campaign Sunday evening that we was leaving the race. That’s according to three people with knowledge of Buttigieg’s decision who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

There were few signs that anyone else was leaving the race.

Billionaire Mike Bloomberg, who will be on the ballot for the first time next week, said Sunday he’s not going anywhere before Tuesday’s primaries.

“I’m optimistic,“he told voters in Selma, Alabama, where many of the White House hopefuls gathered for ceremonies commemorating civil rights heroism. He has spent more than $500 million advertising in the states set to vote this month.

Bloomberg received a mixed reception as he spoke from the pulpit of Selma’s Brown Chapel AME Church. Ten parishioners stood and turned their backs to the New York billionaire as he talked about his desire to increase black home ownership and wealth. That was after the pastor told the congregation that Bloomberg initially said he was too busy to attend because he had to “beat Donald Trump.” Elizabeth Warren’s team spoke brazenly of pushing into a floor battle at the Democratic National Convention this summer if no candidate emerges from primary season with a majority, as seems increasingly likely.

“The convention in Milwaukee is the final play,” wrote campaign manager Roger Lau in a memo.

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