Amer Ishaq Soharwardi
Bureau chief Washington
Joe Biden former Vice President and third time runner for president is gaining momentum as he is getting some big endorsements including those of two former Democratic rivals, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg — a day ahead of Super Tuesday, when 14 states will cast their votes.
Beto O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman, is also planning to endorse Biden tonight, according to people familiar with the decision.
A consolidation of the party’s moderate wing came as fears grow that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a self-described democratic socialist, could amass an insurmountable lead in delegates. A third of the pledged delegates for the party’s presidential nomination are up for grabs on Tuesday.
With a decisive win in Saturday’s South Carolina primary and his spate of new endorsements, Biden is seeking to turn the nominating contest into a two-person race against Sanders. The Vermont senator is leading polls in delegate-rich California and Texas and is aiming to build a formidable lead ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg will appear on the ballot Tuesday for the first time, facing the first real test of his candidacy after spending half a billion dollars on his campaign. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) also are competing in the Super Tuesday contests. Investor Tom Steyer dropped out of the race over the weekend after disappointing showings in South Carolina.
But the big question remains that will all the endorsements can Biden win the democratic candidacy for the president this time. As to some critics this will not help him big as all endorsements are coming from candidates who are not doing very well lately.
