Biden voters in hunt for Trump

Joe Biden’s victories in the latest US primaries should leave President Donald Trump in no doubt about the head of steam Democrats are building up in their bid to retake the White House. The former vice-president’s double-digit win over Bernie Sanders in Michigan, which the democratic socialist won against Hillary Clinton four years ago, showed the party’s determination to ensure it ends up with a moderate. Above all, it needs an electable candidate to run against what it sees as a vulnerable president. Senator Sanders’s prospects of overcoming the Biden surge and winning the nomination appear unlikely. In Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho and Washington state, Senator Sanders was doing worse than in his race against Mrs Clinton.

In Missouri, Mr Biden easily defeated Senator Sanders, yet in 2016 the senator came within a whisker of beating Mrs Clinton. For Mr Biden, his Michigan win could hardly be more significant given that in the 2016 general election, the state was won by Mr Trump by a mere 0.23 per cent against Mrs Clinton. Whether Senator Sanders stays in the race remains to be seen. It is significant that in the aftermath of his latest victories, Mr Biden went out of his way to assure Sanders supporters “there is a place for every one of you in our campaign”.

After the nominating chaos of the past months, the moderate centre of the Democratic Party seems to have come together to block Senator Sanders and his left-wing extremism and unite behind Mr Biden. That appeared inconceivable until the former vice-president’s Super Tuesday triumph. Though he is himself no spring chicken, Mr Trump derides Mr Biden as “Sleepy Joe” and casts him as an incoherent geriatric has-been from Barack Obama’s administration, but the coalition of white working-class voters and African-Americans that swept Mr Biden to victory should not be underestimated. While there is a long way to go in the race for the White House and Mr Trump is a formidable campaigner, the Democrats’ optimism may not be misplaced: every major current opinion poll gives Mr Biden a general election lead over the President ranging from seven to 11 points.