Bernie Sanders does not give up: the "socialist" senator announced Wednesday that he remains in the running for the democratic nomination despite a series of setbacks against Joe Biden, now a favorite to face Donald Trump during the presidential of November.
After further stinging defeats Tuesday evening in the primaries, especially in the state of Michigan, the figurehead of the American left has finally decided to continue, at least for the time being, the adventure. Elizabeth Warren had dropped out last week, leaving the two men face to face.
"We win the generational debate"
The two candidates in their seventies will therefore meet on Sunday for a debate in Arizona which will be scrutinized with particular attention. "We win the generational debate," launched, combative, "Bernie", 78, from his city of Burlington in the state of Vermont, emphasizing the very good scores he recorded with young Americans. He is impatiently awaiting this confrontation, he tweets.
I look forward to debating Joe Biden on Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/YEhg9wsQgW
- Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 11, 2020Avoiding any personal attack on his 77-year-old "friend" Joe Biden, he seemed to leave the door open for a rally to beat the "dangerous" Donald Trump, calling on the former vice president to take heed his ideas. "To win in the future, it will be essential to gain the trust of the voters who represent the future and to address the issues that concern them," he said.
If the senator, as four years ago, knew how to electrify the crowds around his promises of universal health insurance and free studies, he did not succeed in transforming the essay and in particular to arouse support with African-Americans, a key electorate for the Democrats.
Biden to win over Sanders supporters
After a streak of victories in Mississippi, Missouri, Idaho and Michigan, Joe Biden is now in a very good position to wear the colors of the Democratic Party in the November 3 poll.
The coming days promise to be perilous for the Democratic camp, haunted by the memory of 2016 when the acrimony between the teams of Bernie Sanders and those of Hillary Clinton had cost him dearly.
Will Joe Biden find the words to seduce the voters of Sanders who deplore his lack of audacity? Will he take over measures - strong or symbolic - put forward by the senator from Vermont?
Concessions to be made in both camps
According to Julian Zelizer, a history professor at Princeton University, the two septuagenarians will have to take a step towards each other.
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"Yes, it will be crucial that Sanders mobilizes its electoral base behind the candidate. But Biden will have to make a move towards the enthusiastic movement of Sanders. It will require reciprocal efforts, "he said on Twitter.
Certain personalities, such as the rising democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, active supporter of "Bernie", could play the role of intermediary.
"It's more than a" comeback " , in my opinion," said Joe Biden on Tuesday evening, "it's a comeback for the soul of the Nation," which he promised to "restore. By defeating the former New York businessman.
Praising the "energy" and "passion" of the Socialist senator's troops, he reached out to Bernie Sanders. "We have the same goal and together, we will beat Donald Trump, we will bring this country together."
The former vice-president confirmed his ability to assert himself very widely in the South of the United States. But his broad lead in an industrial stronghold in the Midwest like Michigan is also encouraging for Democrats who hope to impose themselves there in November against Donald Trump to find the White House.
After more than thirty-five years as a senator and eight years as the right hand of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, known for his repeated blunders and his missteps, will however have to silence questions about his state of health. Because Donald Trump has already warned: he will attack him relentlessly on this theme.
Barack Obama remains very discreet for the time being. In all likelihood, he should wait until his political family has appointed his champion to weigh with all his weight on the next election.
Coronavirus: two meetings of Democrats canceled
Another unknown weighs on the long electoral marathon to come: the evolution of the epidemic of coronavirus in the United States. As a precaution, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders had to cancel their meetings scheduled for Tuesday evening in Ohio.
Donald Trump's team, which has so far minimized the threat, for its part announced a rally on March 19 in Wisconsin called "Catholics with Trump".
Asked Tuesday about this topic, Vice President Mike Pence remained elusive: "I am convinced that the campaign team will take into account all the information available and will make the best decisions possible".