Super Tuesday: Biden and Sanders Push Ahead

Super Tuesday was created by the Democrats in the 1980s, but it has gradually become an even more important event for today’s democratic candidates and voters. Held on March 3rd, this year’s Super Tuesday allotted more than one-third of the delegates for the Democratic National Convention and included the voices of fourteen states from across the entire nation. Although still early in the election process, Super Tuesday plays an essential role in cutting the number of candidates and determining who will go against the Republican nominee. Thus, after many delegates were at stake on Super Tuesday, several candidates were left empty-handed. A few of these candidates that had insufficient results on Super Tuesday include Michael Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, and Pete Buttigieg, eventually leading them to drop out of the primary race. Currently, the race to win the Democratic nomination is a close-knit battle between two notable political figures in our country: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.

Former Vice President Joe Biden aims to use his experiences as a Senator and as a crucial member of the Obama administration to tackle the major issues facing our nation. In the lead with over seven hundred delegates, Biden has become the front-runner for the Democratic nomination after gaining the support of many state primaries on Super Tuesday. He takes a moderately liberal stance on problems such as climate change and wealth inequality and believes in negotiating with Republicans.

Despite having over six hundred delegates, Bernie Sanders may have trouble catching up to Biden. The Senator’s radical ideas towards renewable energy, universal healthcare, and public colleges may diminish his chances of winning the election if he goes up against the Republican nominee, who is likely to be the incumbent, Donald Trump.

Sanders, however, is well known because of his participation in the 2016 primaries, and his radical ideas are gradually being embraced by young people today. “I agree with the progressive attitude that democrats have towards things like healthcare, gun control, and climate policy because there are some things in this country that need to change,” said Alexa Rosenbloom ’22.  Although Sanders was not her top pick, Rosenbloom agrees that the country needs to adapt to changing times and have a candidate that can gain the support of both Democrats and moderate Republicans. 

While the media portrays the Democratic nomination as a race between two candidates, Tulsi Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran and a representative from Hawaii, is still in the race. Over the next few weeks, as more states head to the polls, the race for Democratic nominee is subject to change. Winning the democratic primaries is just one of the obstacles the candidates have to face; the presidential election is a completely different challenge.