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New Day
Biden Wins 9 States, Sanders Win 3 States, 2 Too Close to Call. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired March 04, 2020 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a good night and it seems to be getting even better. They don't call it Super Tuesday for nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is increasingly a race between two candidates, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this so much about people suddenly discovering Joe Biden?
[05:00:03]
Or is this voters facing a Bernie Sanders saying, I don't think we can beat Donald Trump with that?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I tell you with absolute confidence, we are going to win the Democratic nomination.
BIDEN: You want a nominee who's a Democrat. An Obama-Biden Democrat. Join us.
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, March 4th, 5:00 here in New York.
And Joe Biden has pulled off a stunning comeback in his bid for the Democratic nomination. The biggest headline of the night, CNN projects that former Vice President Joe Biden has won Texas. That is the second richest delegate state on Super Tuesday.
There you see it on the screen. He did it after being outspent, and having little to no ground game there. Biden captured a lot of the vote there. I will give you that number as soon as we crunch it. He won in nine states including Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren's home state. And Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar's home state.
John, all of the numbers are still coming in. Obviously this is a fluid situation. JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. Bernie Sanders was able to
pick up some victories. Let us show you where. His wins include Colorado, Utah, and his home state of Vermont. Although Joe Biden will get delegates in Vermont, and that is something of a surprise.
Senator Sanders leading by a healthy margin in California. These numbers have been coming in all night long. Sanders has been stretching out his lead in California over the last few minutes. This is the biggest prize of the night with 400 delegates. It takes a long, long time to count there. So, the final margins might not be gun for days. They're still counting in Maine as well.
Joe Biden with the narrow lead. Look how close the two contenders are, about 1,500 vote separate the two. Maine is notable because it's a state that Bernie Sanders won in 2016.
As of this hour, we're looking at an outcome that few would have predicted. And even the most optimistic for Joe Biden. He's leading the delegate count right now. Joe Biden leading in the delegate race though there are a heap of Super Tuesday delegates yet to be assigned.
Our reporters are across the country. Let's begin with Phil Mattingly and see propelled Joe Biden to this victory or these victories overnight.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, 1,344 delegates on Super Tuesday. This is where things stand right now, Joe Biden, 334, Bernie Sanders, 255, Elizabeth Warren picking up a few, as well. Michael Bloomberg, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg no longer in the race.
But I want to explain the biggest surprise of the night, and that was Joe Biden's ability to win Texas. Bernie Sanders was favored coming into the state. Bernie Sanders had organization. Bernie Sanders had money. Bernie Sanders' team had focused on the heavy Latino population in the state and expected to too very well.
However, Joe Biden over the course of the night started to grow closer, now 93 percent, Joe Biden more than 70,000 votes ahead. We have projected Joe Biden will win.
Here's why -- I want to focus on two counties specifically. Dallas County, second biggest county in the state. When the early vote came in, it was interesting. Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden were neck and neck. But as the election day vote came in, the vote that came after the South Carolina victory, the vote that came after the big endorsements in Dallas, the night before, things started to change. Joe Biden jumping up to about 20,000-vote lead, more than ten points.
Why this is important? This is suburbs. This is the type of area where Democrats flipped seats back in 2018. This is a major population center.
You saw similar result down in the Houston area. Harris County, biggest county in the state, major demographic shifts over the last campaign cycles. Joe Biden opening a 30,000-type vote here. And it was a similar type of scenario.
Even or even trailing Bernie Sanders at times during this county, as the election vote came in, Joe Biden started to gain, with a serious lead really driving him, propelling him toward the Texas victory. But guys, also another thing not to sleep on here, look at these little counties throughout the course of the state. This is not major vote. This is 27 votes here, 69 votes here.
What this is county after county after county, Joe Biden was chipping away, chipping away, add in the major population centers, and you have a major victory for Joe Biden. You also talked about California. This was the place the Sanders campaign said they were going to too well in.
Well, look at that map. You see a lot of light blue, a lot of Bernie Sanders. With the caveat being we expect him to be counting four days ahead. But as things stand, Bernie Sanders, 235,000 vote ahead. Almost ten points ahead of Joe Biden.
There were a couple of things to keep an eye on here. That's margin for business and who is above 15 percent. Statewide, if you were above 15 percent, you can receive delegates. Michael Bloomberg above 15 percent, Joe Biden above 15, so is Bernie Sanders.
[05:05:03]
The big question for the Sanders campaign is as the vote continues to come in, can the Sanders campaign stretch out the margins a little bit, really capitalize on the 415 delegates that were at play in the state of California? We will see that in the days ahead, guys.
But, obviously, a very big night for Joe Biden. Bernie Sanders, big in California right now. Have to wait and see how it ends up.
BERMAN: All right, Phil, I know you will be counting for hours ahead. Thank you so much for being with us.
The biggest of big pictures, again, is that Joe Biden won in states where he barely spent any money and barely campaigned. Anyone who tells you they saw this coming more than a week ago, they're lying. Even in the Biden campaign, they might have hoped this but not predict.
So, now, he is claiming the most precious asset in politics -- momentum.
CNN's Jessica Dean live in Los Angeles following the Biden campaign.
Jessica, what are they saying this morning?
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, they're calling it Joe-mentum, what we've been hearing the last 24 hours. Of course, the Biden campaign thrilled with how Super Tuesday went winning nine states all across the country.
Of course, those southern states, you saw Phil talking about it, but also in Massachusetts, in Minnesota, Texas, and now, of course, we're seeing how California plays out.
The Biden campaign's strategy, a couple of things to keep in mind. They really wanted use South Carolina as a springboard. They believed if he performed well there, it would be a spring its board into Super Tuesday to really perform very well across the country. Of course, those endorsements from Klobuchar, Buttigieg, and O'Rourke lifting him up, giving him so much television time.
As you mentioned, didn't spend money in some of these places, didn't campaign in some places, yet still won. They also focused on congressional distribution. They zeroed in and got the endorsements in delegate-rich congressional districts. Specifically, look at Texas, look at what Phil was talking about. They said that really paid off last night.
But if you zoom out, this is just an unprecedented comeback for the Biden campaign. The candidate himself could not be happier. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: For those who have been knocked down, counted out, left behind, there this is your campaign!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
Just a few days ago, the press and the pundits declared the campaign dead.
(BOOS)
Then came South Carolina, and they had something to say about it.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
And we're told when you got to Super Tuesday, it will be over. Well, it may be over for the other guy.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: So now the Biden campaign looking ahead already to the next contests that are just around the bend, going up with three states with $1.5 million in advertising. Those are numbers we haven't been seeing them, again, in places not spending that much on advertising.
Here in California, the most delegate-rich state of the evening, we are still waiting to hear how that all plays out, Alisyn. Of course, we all know it could be a while for that.
CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh, Jessica, what a morning. This election season has been nothing if not surprising, basically every single day. And this morning is no exception.
Thank you very much for reporting from the ground for us. So, what is the Sanders campaign saying about this morning about these unexpected results?
CNN's Ryan Nobles live in Vermont with more -- Ryan.
RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, good morning to you.
I don't think there's any out to that Tuesday was anything but super for Bernie Sanders and his campaign. If you take a look back at where the Sanders campaign stood before the vote came in on Saturday to where they stand now, it amounts to a worse-case scenario for Bernie Sanders and his team. They certainly expected to do much better in states like Texas. They expected to do much better in states like Minnesota and Massachusetts. They even expected to do better in places like North Carolina, Virginia, and none of that came through.
Now, what the Sanders campaign is saying now, we shouldn't focus on the number of states won but the delegate map. That's ultimately what is the most important when it comings to earning the Democratic nomination. They believe that they still have a serious shot at winning the biggest prize on the map, that is California. And that the number of delegates that they earn in California will propel them ahead of Joe Biden and once the dust settles, they'll actually have a delegate lead.
And that was the message that Sanders sent to his supporters in his hometown of Burlington, Vermont, where he told them they are still planning to win the Democratic nomination. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: When we began this race for the presidency, everybody said it couldn't be done.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
But tonight, I tell you with absolute confidence, we're going to win the Democratic nomination.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
[05:10:06]
And we are going to defeat the most dangerous president in the history of this country.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBLES: What the Sanders campaign is arguing this morning is that this now becomes a head-to-head race. What we saw yesterday was essentially a sugar rush for Joe Biden after his will be in North Carolina. Now they'll be in front of voters in the contests going forward. They believe Sanders has a real shot at becoming the Democratic nominee -- John.
BERMAN: No question about that. No question about that.
Also no question that Joe Biden is in a much different place than he was one week ago. The Sanders campaign is facing a much different opponent that they would have imagined just one week ago.
So, what does it stunning night and the votes that we're still counting this morning, what does it mean going forward? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: All right. Welcome to the morning after. The morning after Super Tuesday. And an outcome that I really don't think people expected one week ago. This is where we sit as of 5:15 a.m. Eastern Time.
Joe Biden is leading you in the delegate race. He has the most delegates. They are still counting votes in Maine, in California, in Texas. It will take a long time for to their set out.
But when it does, no matter how it does, with will be something that few people projected.
All right. Joining us now to discuss all of this, CNN senior political analyst John Avlon, CNN political correspondent Abby Phillip, CNN contributor Wajahat Ali, he's a contributing op-ed writer for "The New York Times," and CNN political commentator Mitch Landrieu, he is the former mayor of New Orleans and the only one what held elected office.
You have seniority here. Look --
MITCH LANDRIEU, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you for that.
BERMAN: This was not expected a week ago. Joe Biden, coming off of great losses in ways --
CAMEROTA: Or yesterday.
BERMAN: I think it was trending upward for Biden yesterday, but the scope of it, when you add in Minnesota. Massachusetts, wow.
LANDRIEU: Well, we forget, but Iowa and New Hampshire were not that long ago. People wrote Joe Biden's obituary a thousand different times. So, this will be written as one of the great comebacks of all time.
You know, when you talk about the comeback kid, nobody expected that he would be here. People were opining that when he had to do was keep Bernie from running away from it. That he was going win in the South. He made a play in the northwest. Boy, when we get to Texas and California, you know, wait for it, because we want to stay in a certain amount of distance.
And, of course, that did not play that out. He won Massachusetts, beside the southern swing, he won Virginia and he won North Carolina, I believe. I think he won Texas.
We're still waiting on California. I think most people would say that was really unexpected and very strong showing.
CAMEROTA: We have numbers that says that a lot of people decided in the past day or two. This been so fluid, so much has changed that finally procrastinators unite. It was the day of the procrastinators and they were victorious because so much change that you would have voted differently with many people had you voted two weeks ago. Just interesting. And it went to Joe Biden's favor.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is because voters in this primary have been looking for strength. They are looking for who demonstrates the ability to bring the party together, to win the Democratic coalition. This is where we have to talk about black voters.
First and foremost, Congressman Jim Clyburn, because he completely changed this race for Joe Biden in a way that I think was unlike anything that we've ever seen before in terms of endorsements --
CAMEROTA: You give him the credit for the momentum?
PHILLIP: Absolutely. About half -- let's with South Carolina, which is where this all started for Joe Biden. About half of South Carolina voters factored in one man's endorsement, Jim Clyburn's.
And Jim Clyburn was on TV every day from the time he endorsed up until the moments the polls closed. He was saying to voters, go out and vote, go out and vote, go out in vote. Joe Biden won by a landslide. When you look at what happened after two candidates left the race, they left the race because of the strength of Joe Biden's win, the breadth of Joe Biden's win in South Carolina, and they knew that that was going -- they knew that that was going to mean that they could not compete on Super Tuesday.
BERMAN: Let's run through what the African-American vote was. Let's look at Texas, for instance. Joe Biden won 58 percent of the vote. Michael Bloomberg was in second at 16 percent, then Sanders. Blacks made up 20 percent of the electorate there. Joe Biden won 62 percent of the black vote in North Carolina, 62 percent. And Bernie Sanders down at 17 percent. They made up 27 percent of the electorate, African-Americans did in North Carolina.
In Virginia, Joe Biden won 71 percent of the black vote. They were 28 percent of those who voted.
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, African-Americans are the backbone of the Democratic Party particularly in the south. And that is exactly right. Jim Clyburn's endorsement changed the trajectory of the race big time. The momentum from South Carolina carried on.
But, you know, it's also take a look at the ideological split in states. Joe Biden had been written off. Nobody expected him to win in the Deep South even after support. When you look at voters who were liberal, somewhat liberal, moderates, conservatives, Joe Biden ran away with everybody except the very liberal. That's a problem in terms it was the ceiling.
The other thing is big wins that Sanders did get and he did get a few, Colorado, for example, swing state in the general election, heavy early voting. And that's one of the major factors to look at California.
[05:20:01]
When you took into account the momentum from South Carolina, Biden had an extraordinary night, Lazarus-like night.
(CROSSTALK)
LANDRIEU: A big point that we were all arguing about, I love the people of Iowa and New Hampshire, but they do not reflect the depth and breadth and diversity of the Democratic Party. And yesterday and South Carolina acted like how Iowa normally acts for campaigns early on, because he won and got the bounce, and it actually propelled him into first place on the shoulder of the African-American community.
CAMEROTA: Wajahat, what do you see?
WAJAHAT ALI, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOIR: Pour water out for the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire. Rest in peace and never have that much influence again. I think peeled back, what we see again is 65 percent of Democratic voters who say their number-one priority is to unseat Trump.
That number you just showed, that stunning number, the 45 percent to 49 percent of people made up their mind the last two days shows you that people are fluid. They wanted the strongest candidate, and black voters and voters of color are pragmatic.
It's not identity politics. They always come out to save the country from itself. Clyburn was the kingmaker. No one expected the 28-point victory in South Carolina. Then we had the moderate avengers.
This is John Berman's copy. This is his copy from his own John Berman reads comics books, judge if you to. We had Beto and Buttigieg and Klobuchar come out to give him that lift.
What people want -- I think this is fascinating. People realize this is a unique election. This is for the survival of democracy, rule of law, institutions, for people of color, there is more their survival.
They will back the candidate that they think will win and that they think white America will vote for and Biden got that vote.
BERMAN: Let's put, they decided most recently, they decided on the last few days numbers, to dive in a little deeper, so you can see it right now.
You can choose Virginia, or Minnesota. Let's do Minnesota, because we haven't done Minnesota yet right now. In Minnesota, 55 --
CAMEROTA: Shout out to Minnesota.
BERMAN: -- 55 percent, 55 percent of voters in Minnesota decided in the last few days.
ALI: Wow.
BERMAN: That's a lot. Now of those who decided in the last few days, Joe Biden won 53 percent, right? So you see there, you see there patterns. I think everything you were talking about, Wajahat, factors into that.
ALI: That's the game changer.
BERMAN: You look at Minnesota, the avengers in this case will be Amy Klobuchar.
ALI: Black voters, Clyburn, the moderate avengers stepping through, Terry McAuliffe, Tim Kaine, they're like, we got to choose this. If there's down ballot races, is it going to be Bernie or Biden? Who is going to unseat Trump? That's the question for 2020.
PHILLIP: Can I put in a word about when we are seeing because California's coming in with the Hispanic voters. Bernie Sanders is still doing extraordinarily well --
AVLON: Yes --
PHILLIP: -- with Latinos voters. And that's something the Democratic Party needs to pay attention to. Latino voters under the age of 30 overwhelmingly very Bernie Sanders.
ALI: From Texas.
PHILLIP: And again, this is a problem that the Democratic Party needs to solve. How do they keep those voters engaged, keep them in the party. And something is happening on the ground with the Sanders campaign. That is -- I don't know that we've, you know, black voters, they vote a block which peeps cower intact.
If that continues to happen with the Latino voters, you can see the power wielded in a certain way. If Bernie Sanders has the key, whoever the nominee is going to have to figure that out --
LANDRIEU: And also in age divide, in both sides of the split. Older voters one way, younger another way. That's a potential gulf --
AVLON: It's not as stark as people think. We'll talk before that. But it's not simply that Biden gets old folks.
CAMEROTA: Hold that though. We have much more to talk about.
We also have an updated delegate count for you. We'll be updating it all morning, because as we've said the numbers coming in. So, at the moment, it is now Joe Biden 341 delegates collected, Sanders, 265, California is still coming in and then you see Buttigieg at 26, Warren at 25.
All right. We have more with our panel, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:28:28]
CAMEROTA: All right. Numbers are coming in still fast and furiously. Where does the Democratic race go from here?
Back with us, our great panel, we have John Avlon, Abby Phillip, Wajahat Ali and Mitch Landrieu.
John, you had wanted to say something before we headed to commercial break.
Where do you think we are particularly for Bloomberg who has spent I think $560 million and Elizabeth Warren who wanted to stay in indefinitely?
AVLON: Look, I mean, the down card of last night had a tough one. Bloomberg spent an unprecedented amount of money. He got in when it looked like either Warren or Sanders was running away with it, Biden was seen like his campaign was floundering, he did get reward with delegates. I think half a million dollars for Samoa is probably not what you stand up for.
But he did pick up some delegates, and he could be important in the race going forward. This guy's shown that he's going to be committed to run against Trump. Whether he's the nominee, he's backed a lot of issues that liberals like even if they don't like him at the top of the ticket.
Elizabeth Warren is going to be -- require a great deal of analysis for the failure to convert. She was surging in the fall. To lose her home state badly is a terrible sign. The path forward is very unclear.
What's striking me the most about last night, the Democrats did exactly what Republicans didn't when they saw the rise of Donald Trump. You had folks had real credibility saying we're going to get out and back Joe Biden quickly because we think he's the most competitive nominee to stop Donald Trump. And because we think Bernie Sanders would lead our down ticket to disaster.
PHILLIP: We asked yesterday what would happen to the voters of Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, would they really go where they were being told to go. And I think we got the answer to that question.
AVLON: Yes.
PHILLIP: They went.
END
