Joe Biden is projecting confidence heading into Nevada and South Carolina, in contrast to Iowa and New Hampshire, and took shots at fellow 2020 Democratic White House hopeful Michael Bloomberg.
During a Thursday afternoon fundraiser in New York City, Biden told donors at Sarabeth’s restaurant in midtown Manhattan that he believed he could finish first or second in Nevada’s Feb. 22 caucuses, according to a pool report.
The former vice president also considered a win in reach in South Carolina’s Feb. 29 primary, adding that “things look good” ahead of Super Tuesday on March 3, when 14 states weigh in on the 2020 Democratic race for the White House.
“They know me. It’s what I come from,” he said of the African American Democratic community in the first-in-the-South primary state and the civil rights movement.
During a second fundraiser Thursday evening at The Wayfarer restaurant near Central Park, Biden went further.
“I will win Pennsylvania, I promise you. I will win Michigan, I promise you. I will win those Midwest states, as well as right now they have me winning in Georgia, Texas, Florida, North Carolina. In terms of the nomination and even the general election only a point behind Trump in, in Texas,” he said.
Although Delaware’s senator for 36 years downplayed the possibility of a brokered convention this summer, he made a point of poking fun of Bloomberg for a recent ad featuring former President Barack Obama. He made the comments while talking about the hundreds of millions of dollars both the former New York City mayor and their fellow Democratic competitor Tom Steyer have spent on advertising so far this cycle.
“The advertising I’ve seen, you’d think that, that Mike was Barack’s vice president,” he joked.
Biden’s third White House bid hangs in the balance after a fourth and fifth place finish in Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively. He’s pinning his hopes of becoming his party’s standard-bearer on the next two contests, given the states are home to more minority Democratic, with whom he still polls favorably.
Bloomberg’s influence in the race won’t be fully felt until Super Tuesday since he isn’t competing in the first four early voting states.
