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All eyes are on South Carolina as presidential candidates prepare to face off in Saturday\u2019s Democratic primary, a contest which experts believe will paint a better picture of the eventual nominee.<\/p>\n
Not only is South Carolina the final contest before Super Tuesday, but it\u2019s also the first state with a predominantly black voting population.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a test of not only minority support, but African American enthusiasm as well,\u201d said Scott Huffmon, a Winthrop University professor who oversees the Winthrop Poll.<\/p>\n
Vice President Joe Biden has long been the favorite to win South Carolina due to his popularity among African American voters. A victory on Saturday would be the jump-start his campaign needs before Super Tuesday on March 3.<\/p>\n
But Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ explosive rise in the polls after wins in New Hampshire and Nevada has moderate South Carolina Democrats worried. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., who has stayed neutral in past primaries, is expected to endorse Biden on Wednesday, a last-ditch effort to revive Biden’s prospects.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a candidate were to win South Carolina by a large margin it might make them more competitive,\u201d said Chase Meyer, a political science professor at the University of South Carolina. \u201cSpecifically, it would help revive the Joe Biden campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n
Huffmon said a loss, or even a single-digit-win, from Biden would make him vulnerable.<\/p>\n
\u201cBiden needs to come out of South Carolina with a decisive win by double digits,\u201d Huffmon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he loses South Carolina his campaign would be far more difficult,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cWhile it might \u2018survive,\u2019 it would be on life support.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just over 60% of voters in the South Carolina Democratic primary will be African American, according to the latest Winthrop Poll. An endorsement from\u00a0Clyburn would boost a candidate\u2019s chances at winning the African American vote.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is seen as somebody who\u2019s vitally important to African Americans in the whole state and representing them in Congress,\u201d Huffmon said.<\/p>\n
Although Clyburn has yet to publicly support a candidate, Craig Melvin of NBC reported the representative plans to endorse Biden on Wednesday in Charleston.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany South Carolina Democrats are undecided, and Clyburn giving his approval to Biden may have a good-sized impact on many undecided voters,\u201d Meyer said.<\/p>\n
Huffmon said this rumored endorsement would lead him to believe Biden is worried about South Carolina.<\/p>\n
Sanders has diminished Biden\u2019s once\u00a0comfortable lead in South Carolina to only 5%, according to the latest Winthrop Poll. Huffmon said Saturday will be an \u201cessential win\u201d for Sanders if he\u2019s able to prove he\u2019s viable to a good amount of African American voters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that he\u2019s tied for second for African American voters is surprising,\u201d Huffmon said. \u201cHe\u2019s gaining traction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Competitors will try to slow Sanders\u2019 momentum by targeting him during Tuesday night\u2019s debate in Charleston.<\/p>\n
Political newcomer and billionaire Tom Steyer has also made inroads in the South Carolina black community, blanketing the state with political advertisements that suggest he has the best plan to defeat President Trump and return the middle class to prosperity.<\/p>\n
Two other influential black politicians in the state, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, have endorsed former New York Mayor Bloomberg. Bloomberg has qualified for Tuesday night\u2019s debate despite not officially being on the South Carolina ballot.<\/p>\n
According to Huffman, other candidates should use the debate to reveal Bloomberg\u2019s vulnerabilities before one-third of all delegates are up for grabs next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cCandidates, especially the ones who won\u2019t do well in South Carolina, don\u2019t want to go into Super Tuesday with an unbloodied Bloomberg,\u201d Huffmon said.<\/p>\n
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Former Vice President Joe Biden proved he was focused on South Carolina by spending the night of the New Hampshire primary in Columbia.<\/p>\n
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