Tuesday, March 5 marked a big day in American politics. Known colloquially as “Super Tuesday,” 15 states held their primary elections yesterday, over a third of the delegates up for grabs. The primaries are used to determine who gets the nomination from their respective parties, and as the results roll in it appears to be a rematch between former President Trump and President Biden.
DU students attending the watch party hosted by Korbel were surprised by the results coming in last night.
Political science major Dylan Kane found the dominance of Biden and Trump very interesting. “It is, I would say, the most obvious primary of my lifetime, and I would say one of the most obvious in modern American politics,” Kane said.
Many people in attendance found the rise of Trump and Biden to be predictable but recognized Republican candidate Nikki Haley’s place on the playing field.
“It’s not very surprising, the biggest question is how much will Trump underperform, how much will Haley overperform,” said history and political science major Douglas Joyce. Joyce continued, “She [Haley] really put up a good fight in Vermont, that was a lot more than I was expecting.”
Political science major Aidan Harrer noticed Haley too. “I’ve been mostly looking at where Nikki Haley wins and like what she’s winning. I don’t think she’s going to continue after tonight but it’s very interesting to see what parts of what states are voting Nikki Haley,” he said.
While Haley did manage to secure Vermont by around 3,000 votes, one state wasn’t enough for her to stay in the running. Haley stated today “I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard—I have done that. I have no regrets. And although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in.”
In a breach of tradition, Haley did not explicitly endorse Trump for the GOP nomination. Rather, she issued a challenge to him.
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him, and I hope he does that,” she said. “At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away.”
Yesterday’s historical primary has created a rematch scenario for Trump and Biden. While Trump did beat Haley by a wide margin in terms of states, in terms of voters there are many supporters for Haley amongst Republicans.
Biden urged Haley’s supporters to consider him after her withdrawal. “I know there is a lot we won’t agree on. But on the fundamental issues of preserving American democracy, on standing up for the rule of law, on treating each other with decency and dignity and respect, on preserving NATO and standing up to America’s adversaries, I hope and believe we can find common ground,” he said.
Trump focused more on her defeat in his statement on Truth Social. “Nikki Haley got TROUNCED last night, in record-setting fashion, despite the fact that Democrats, for reasons unknown, are allowed to vote in Vermont, and various other Republican Primaries.”
With the majority of votes in from Tuesday, and Haley out of the race, the scene is set for Trump and Biden to receive nominations from their respective parties, and compete for the presidency once again in 2024.
