Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets supporters as she arrives to speak to supporters at her election night watch party for the South Carolina Democratic primary in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Hillary Clinton defeated socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday by 47.%, with 100% of precincts reporting. The crushing victory reasserts Mrs. Clinton’s status as the presumptive frontrunner and odds-on favorite to win the nomination, as her Southern firewall made up of black voters should little to zero sign of cracking against Sanders.
“And now you know why we have always favored Mrs. Clinton to win the nomination,” said PPD’s senior political analyst, Richard Baris. “You cannot win the nomination in a modern Democratic Party with only white, largely younger voters.”
South Carolina exit polls showed black voters made up about 60% of the Democratic electorate on Saturday, blowing past their average 55% in prior primaries.
Worse still, the youth vote did not show up for the socialist senator, who has overwhelmingly carried the pivotal bloc of voters in prior contests. Spring break appears to have been more important to them then getting to the polls, an ominous sign not only for Sanders but the Democratic coalition in November. Young voters made up a significant force in the Obama coalition.
“Tomorrow this campaign goes national,” proclaimed Mrs. Clinton in her victory rally at University of South Carolina, sending the crowd into a frenzy of cheers and applause. “I am so greatly appreciative because today you send a message that today in America we stand together and there is no barrier too big to break.”
While Sen. Sanders closed a huge gap on the PPD average South Carolina Democratic Primary polls leading up to the election, he rarely got within 20 points of Mrs. Clinton. By this week, he had all but given up on the state and spent most of his time campaigning in states voting Super Tuesday and later.
