Comeback kid Joe Biden still has a long road ahead after South Carolina success

After a much-needed primary win, the former vice president faces Super Tuesday with a renewed sense of purpose but no clear path forward, writes Alex Woodward

(AFP/Getty)

Joe Biden declared his victory in South Carolina earlier this week when asked whether he would drop out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination should Bernie Sanders end up carrying the state. He responded: “I’m going to win South Carolina.”

His victory had been telegraphed for weeks as his campaign shifted its focus from early primary states to the first one in the south, a stronghold of African-American support where the former vice president could expend his decades of political capital as proof that he can carry a diverse electorate.

While Biden’s campaign remained focused on winning South Carolina, his challengers have stressed that it’s just one state among many as they look ahead to Super Tuesday and bank on earning a significant chunk of delegates in states where Biden has spent little time or money.