Sen. Amy Klobachar (D-MN), the establishment-friendly moderate who billed herself as the uniter needed to defeat President Donald Trump in this year’s election, is out of the Democrat presidential primary.
Klobachar quit the primary on Monday, shortly after South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg also threw in the towel. These withdrawals come after former Vice President Joe Biden’s domination in the South Carolina primary this weekend. Both candidates are expected to formally endorse Biden today.
“Klobuchar outlasted several better-known and better-funded Democrats, thanks to a better-than-expected third-place finish in in New Hampshire. But she couldn’t turn that into success elsewhere, as she struggled to build out a campaign that could compete across the country and had poor showings in the next contests,” the Associated Press wrote about Klobachar’s sudden departure from the race.
The Democrat establishment has apparently picked Biden as their best chance to defeat Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), despite his frequent gaffes on the campaign trail and his incredibly poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire.
“You launched Bill Clinton, Barack Obama to the presidency. Now you launched our campaign on the path to defeating Donald Trump,” Biden said after his victory in South Carolina on Saturday.
“My buddy Jim Clyburn! You brought me back!” he added.
Biden took shots at Sanders, the independent candidate who has emerged as an unlikely front-runner in the race.
“If the Democrats want a nominee who’s a Democrat—a lifelong Democrat—a proud Democrat—an Obama-Biden Democrat—then join us!” Biden said.
“Most Americans don’t want the promise of revolution. They want more than a promise, they want results,” he added.
If it wasn’t obvious enough that Biden is the choice of the Democrat Party establishment, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has come out with an endorsement of Biden as well.
“Democrats need a candidate who can assemble the largest, most diverse coalition possible to defeat Trump and lead our country following the trauma of Trump’s presidency,” Reid said in a statement released on Monday. “That candidate is Joe Biden.”
Billionaire oligarch Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren (D-MA) remain in the race as mainstream candidates who could dilute the vote from Biden. Sanders still has a strong chance to be the Democrat’s presidential nominee, but the establishment will not make it easy for him heading into the all-important Super Tuesday, which is tomorrow.