President Joe Biden rejoiced on Saturday over his resounding triumph in the South Carolina primary, a state that played a pivotal role in breathing life into his campaign four years ago.
In a much-anticipated event, Democrats exercised their right to vote and, unsurprisingly, selected the 46th president over Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and author Marianne Williamson.
“In 2020, the voters of South Carolina defied the expectations of pundits and injected fresh energy into our campaign, propelling us towards victory in the presidential race,” Biden stated. “And now, in 2024, the people of South Carolina have once again made their voices heard, and I am confident that their support will lead us to claim the presidency once more, while ensuring Donald Trump faces defeat yet again.”
Less than 30 minutes after polls closed, the race was declared. According to unofficial totals, Biden secured an impressive 96% of the over 131,000 votes cast, with 100% of counties reporting. South Carolina will award 55 delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19-22.
In last month’s primary in New Hampshire, the Democratic ballot did not feature the president. Nonetheless, Joe Biden received a significant number of votes through write-ins, surpassing all other choices. The national party regarded South Carolina as its initial state for the primary election.
Biden kicked off his campaign with a major event in the vicinity of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, last month. Since then, the 81-year-old has been actively promoting his achievements in various areas, including the economy, inflation, wages, climate action, and women’s reproductive rights. Notably, his administration has made substantial investments in numerous projects funded by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, showcasing his commitment to using taxpayer dollars effectively.
President Biden has recently held two significant campaign events. One took place in South Carolina over the past weekend, while the other was held in Warren, Michigan, alongside the United Auto Workers on Thursday. Michigan is considered a battleground state as Biden won it in the 2020 election by a narrow margin of less than 155,000 votes out of over 5.4 million cast. In contrast, Trump had won the state in 2016 by a margin of less than 11,000 votes out of nearly 4.8 million cast. With 15 electoral college votes, Michigan ranks among the nine states with the highest number of electoral votes. It is also noteworthy that both parties will have their primaries in Michigan on February 27th.
South Carolina holds just nine electoral college votes and hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in the general election since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Despite its relatively small number of electoral votes, the state holds significance for Biden due to its diverse socio-economic makeup. Black voters played a crucial role in Biden’s 2020 campaign, but recent polling shows a decrease in his approval among this demographic, dropping from 86% nationally in July 2021 to only 50% in December.
The president is urging his supporters to trust him on certain campaign points, even in the face of contradictory facts.
Economic concerns, especially inflation, feature prominently in the president’s campaign speeches and are also a key issue on the ballot. In a recent address, the president highlighted the impressive addition of 353,000 new jobs in January and confidently declared, “We have seen a significant increase in wealth, wages, and employment since the start of the pandemic, and I am determined to continue pushing for further progress.”
On Tuesday, he also shared the following statement on his Facebook page: “Inflation is on the decline, and it is now lower in America compared to other major economies worldwide. Additionally, the costs of essential items, such as gas, are also decreasing.”
Inflation has seen a gradual increase in recent months, with the latest available rates showing a rise from 3.1% in November to 3.4% in December. This marks a significant jump from the 1.4% recorded in January 2021 and the 9.1% seen in June 2022. The percentage for January will be made available on February 13th.
Among the G20 countries, China, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Indonesia, Japan, the Euro Area, South Korea, Germany, France, and the Netherlands have comparatively lower inflation rates. China has a negative inflation rate of minus-0.3%, while Italy has 0.76%, Saudi Arabia has 1.5%, Switzerland has 1.7%, Indonesia has 2.57%, Japan has 2.6%, the Euro Area has 2.8%, South Korea has 2.8%, Germany has 2.9%, France has 3.1%, and the Netherlands has 3.2%. Canada’s inflation rate is the same as the United States at 3.4%.
In terms of gross domestic product, the top four countries are the United States, China, Japan, and Germany. Surprisingly, six out of the top 10 countries with the highest GDP have lower inflation rates than the United States.
Gas prices have seen a slight increase in recent weeks, with the current average price for unleaded gasoline standing at $3.15 per gallon, as reported by AAA. This marks a rise of approximately 5 cents from the previous week and 6 cents from the previous month. Looking back to the same period last year, the price was recorded at $3.49 per gallon.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Producer Consumption Expenditure index has increased by 2.9% in the past year, indicating a 17% overall rise in prices since Biden assumed office.
The upcoming election includes an important issue that may not be at the forefront of his campaign right now: border security. Since Biden assumed office, it is estimated that around 11 million individuals have either entered or are currently residing in the country illegally. Recent national polls, including The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll conducted in January, suggest that Republicans place more importance on this issue compared to Democrats, although concern levels are increasing in both parties.
During his campaign, Biden assured voters that he would close the border if Congress permits, despite his press secretary’s previous statements claiming that the border was not open. It is important to mention that on his first day in office, Biden issued an executive order to terminate the national emergency declaration that was previously used to justify diverting funds for the construction of the wall.
There was a proclamation issued that ordered an immediate halt to the ongoing construction projects of the border wall.
The South Carolina Republican primary is scheduled for February 24. Following that, Nevada will hold its Democratic primary on Tuesday, with the Republican caucus taking place on Thursday.
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