Press
Marshall for NY Daily News: “Mayor Pete’s cross-cutting appeal: Why Buttigieg is really the one to watch”
02.12.2020
Sen. Bernie Sanders narrowly took first in the New Hampshire primary, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar rode a wave of last-minute support to a surprisingly strong third-place finish. But the prize for most impressive performance goes to Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who came in second. More than the other candidates, he displayed the kind of broad, cross-cutting support the Democrats’ eventual nominee will need to unite a fractious party.
The outcome left the campaigns of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden on life support. They finished fourth and fifth respectively, and picked up zero delegates. Two longshots, Sen. Michael Bennet and entrepreneur Andrew Yang, packed it in yesterday after barely registering in New Hampshire.
Following a lackluster showing in Iowa, Warren appears to be the “betwixt and between” candidate — neither the favorite of liberals nor moderates. Nor has she done particularly well with her presumed base of college-educated women. At this stage, it’s hard to see what she could do to start clicking with these voters.
Biden’s precipitous fall from frontrunner status suggests that his high national poll numbers may have reflected familiarity more than popularity. However, they did allow him to clog the center lane, blocking the way of other moderate candidates. If Biden doesn’t win a solid majority of black voters in South Carolina, he’s done.
Read the full piece here.
