Biden pushes for South Carolina to lead presidential primaries
FILE – President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Bowie State University in Bowie, Md., Nov. 7, 2022. Democrats considering shaking up the order of their 2024 presidential primary are waiting on President Joe Biden, anxious to see if he’ll endorse stripping Iowa of its traditional leadoff spot or discourage major changes while mulling his own potential reelection bid. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
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(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden announced he’s in support of a shakeup to the Democrats’ presidential nominating process, making South Carolina the first state to vote, instead of Iowa, The Hill reported.
Under the plan that has been laid out, South Carolina would be the first primary, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, Georgia and Michigan, meaning the traditional leadoff vote in Iowa would be out of the first five.
Who’s talking about this?
The left. According to NewsNation’s partner Ground News, 39% of the outlets reporting the president’s endorsement lean to the left.
- New York Times: Biden, Demoting Iowa and Prizing Diversity, Wants S.C. as First Primary
- HuffPost: Biden Drops Iowa, Pushes South Carolina As 1st 2024 Primary State
Just 12% of news outlets reporting this news leaned right, according to Ground News.
Is this really happening?
In a letter to the Democratic National Committee, Biden listed a number of principles that should be considered as they decide the nominating calendar for 2024.
The president stated the first primary should represent the diversity of all Democratic voters.
“We must ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire window,” Biden wrote.
What’s another side of this story?
Along with a change in the calendar, Biden called for an end to caucuses, calling them “inherently anti-participatory,” The Hill reported.
In his letter, the president said caucusing is time-consuming and may discourage working voters who can’t stay at a voting location for a long period of time.
Bottom line
Iowa and New Hampshire are not happy with the proposals, and New Hampshire Party Chair Ray Buckley said their first-in-the-nation election was “not theirs to take away.” Leaders of the Iowa Democratic Party told The Washington Post the plans are “merely a suggestion.”
When Biden ran in 2020, he came in fourth in Iowa and fifth in New Hampshire but won South Carolina a few days later, helping lift his campaign to the party nomination after a slow start.
Biden has yet to make a formal decision on if he will seek a second term, but has indicated he intends to run again.
Once considered a potential challenger, California Gov. Gavin Newsom squashed rumors last month that he might challenge the sitting president, saying he’s “all in” on Biden if runs in 2024.