How Joe Biden made his incredible comeback

New Hampshire, three weeks ago. After a pitiful 5th place, Joe Biden zaps his election night and leaves his disgruntled supporters at the mercy of journalists to run to South Carolina. What is seen, at best as a stroke of poker - and at worst as an escape to save face - will undoubtedly be studied by all political strategists in the coming years. Because it was at this time that the tide turned, triggering a wave of favorable events which swept over the 14 polls of "Super Tuesday" this Tuesday.

Joe Biden won 10, winning an absolute sweep in the South, largely thanks to the African-American vote. In this Democratic primary, he should emerge before Bernie Sanders in the race for delegates (the counting is not finished in California). Back on the craziest week of his political life.

Wednesday's front page: Joe Biden's campaign made a shocking rise from the dead on Super Tuesday, The Post's Michael Goodwin writes https://t.co/mgjfIKkGhA pic.twitter.com/WYs4U9nqh1

• Wednesday February 26: Influential Jim Clyburn Calls to Vote Biden in South Carolina

If Joe Biden wins the nomination, it will be largely thanks to this man. Jim Clyburn, considered the "kingmaker" in South Carolina, where he has been elected since 2007 to the House of Representatives, announcing his rocky voice in front of the cameras: "I want the public to know, I will vote for Joe Biden, and South Carolina should vote for Joe Biden. "

Rep. Jim Clyburn, the highest-ranking black member of Congress and considered a kingmaker in South Carolina's Democratic political orbit, endorses Joe Biden ahead of the state's primary. https://t.co/qdWd7lJeBx pic.twitter.com/s1Ddlh2Hnu

His announcement, three days before the election, comes when Joe Biden's lead had melted in the polls, particularly among the African-American electorate, with a push from Bernie Sanders.

• Saturday February 29: Joe Biden wins massive victory in South Carolina

It was his "firewall". Joe Biden had hammered it, the first two states, Iowa and New Hampshire, where minorities represent less than 10% of the electorate, were "not representative" of American diversity. In South Carolina, 55% of the voters are African-American. More than 60% support Biden, and half say that the endorsement of Jim Clyburn weighed in their decision.

In the end, Joe Biden won with almost 50% of the vote, 30 points ahead of Bernie Sanders. Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar are in the cabbage. Biden's winning speech is arguably the best of his campaign, energetic, sharp and emotional. With less improvisation (and probably with the help of a teleprompter), he avoids blunders and looks more like the Joe Biden of 2012 than that of 2019. He thanks Jim Clyburn for having “carried him on his shoulders "

• Sunday March 1: Pete Buttigieg throws in the towel

"Mayor Pete" can only see the damage. After winning Iowa and finishing second in New Hampshire, he collapsed in front of a more varied electorate. In South Carolina, it peaks at 3% among African Americans. When he has to participate in a big political meeting in Texas, his plane changes course and returns to his home in South Bend, Indiana. Buttigieg throws in the towel and shoots unnamed, at Bernie Sanders: "Faced with Donald Trump, we must bring the Americans together, not divide them with our ideology. According to the New York Times , the young candidate then makes two calls to Joe Biden and ... to Barack Obama.

• Monday March 2: Klobuchar gives up and joins Biden on stage with Buttigieg and Beto

The domino effect continues and the moderates consolidate behind Joe Biden. The Minnesota senator in turn leaves the race and calls to vote for the former vice-president. She joined him on stage at a meeting in Dallas, Texas. Pete Buttigieg is there. Beto O'Rourke, too.

I'm Joe Biden and I'm running a campaign that chooses: Hope over fear. Unity over division. Truth over lies.

And to supporters of Pete, Amy, and Beto: last night was your win too - and I'm here to earn your vote. So join us: https://t.co/Wye3ZV9uuQ pic.twitter.com/oDTZsrcMFi

Bernie Sanders quipped from a distance: “It's no secret. There is a big effort to try to stop Bernie Sanders. The corporate and political elites are coming together. Donald Trump fuels the flames of the division and denounces "a coup against Bernie".

• Tuesday March 3: Joe Biden has a great Tuesday

The South Carolina firewall extends to all of South America. Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma… Joe Biden knocks out Bernie Sanders and Michael Bloomberg. While the polls still gave him 10 or 15 points behind, two weeks ago, he even won Texas (thanks Beto). In the north, it is essential without having spent a penny in Minnesota (thank you Amy) and in Massachusetts (thank you Warren, who, at home, siphons votes to Sanders with his 22%).

Biden achieves big scores not only in the African-American electorate, but also in the suburbs (thanks Pete) and among the boomers (its base). Between 30 and 50% of voters indicate that they have made up their minds in the last few days. Bernie Sanders wins at home, in Vermont, and in the Great West: Colorado, Utah, and in all likelihood California - three states where advance postal voting is preponderant and undoubtedly counterbalanced Biden's late comeback .

• Wednesday March 4: Michael Bloomberg gives up and lines up behind Biden

So he spent $ 500 million of his personal fortune on a single victory in ... American Samoa. Michael Bloomberg has just suspended his campaign and line up behind Joe Biden, "the best placed to beat Donald Trump". Elizabeth Warren, she takes stock with her teams.

• What happens next?

While there were more than 20 candidates on the starting line, we will now attend a Biden-Sanders duel. Which is far from being played. In the delegate race, Joe Biden should be around 650-670 after all the votes are counted in California, and Sanders at 580-600. They still have a way to reach an absolute majority (1,991 delegates) before the Milwaukee convention in mid-July.

For Bernie Sanders, the case may still resemble his battle against Hillary Clinton: alone against all. Compared to 2016, the "socialist democrat" has made progress among the Latinos, who have played a major role in Nevada, Colorado and California, but still levels off at 20-25% in the south. And while he claims to be able to beat Trump thanks to an "unprecedented" mobilization of youth, it is still waiting. With participation rising sharply on Tuesday, the share of 17-29 year-olds in the primary electorate fell by 3% compared to 2016. Joe Biden is now a favorite and can take back Bill Clinton's nickname " comeback kid ". Not bad, at 77 years old.

World

VIDEO. "Super Tuesday": Joe Biden hits the bull's eye, Bernie Sanders limits the breakage and Mike Bloomberg makes pschitt

World

Billionaire Mike Bloomberg steps down from Democratic primary to benefit Joe Biden

• Donald trump
• Joe biden
• American presidential election
• World
• Democratic primary