Former Vice President Joe Biden (image via Instagram)
Poll: Joe Biden Leads Democrats By 18 Points In South Carolina
Prominent SC Rep. Jim Clyburn Endorses Joe Biden
Just days before the South Carolina Democratic primary, Rep. Jim Clyburn has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden. Clyburn is considered one of the most popular politicians in the state. From the Post and Courier:
As South Carolina’s most influential Democrat and the highest-ranking black member of Congress, Clyburn’s support for Biden could hold far more significance than a typical presidential endorsement, boosting him as he seeks to stave off two surging rivals in U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and businessman Tom Steyer in a state where about two-thirds of the Democratic electorate is African American.
Some political observers even dub him the South Carolina Democrats’ “kingmaker.” Clyburn endorsed Hillary Clinton at a similar stage in the 2016 primary. He only endorsed Barack Obama months after South Carolina’s 2008 primary.
Clyburn’s endorsements historically carry the state. Clyburn has also recorded a campaign ad for Biden that will run throughout the state over the next several days.
South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn endorses Joe Biden: "Our challenge is making the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all. … Nobody with whom I've ever worked in public life is any more committed … than Joe Biden" https://t.co/7G0toYlQsa pic.twitter.com/NQf04n29Yg
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 26, 2020
It’s official: S.C. “Kingmaker” Rep. @WhipClyburn is endorsing @JoeBiden. Both men just walked out together ahead of Clyburn’s press conference. pic.twitter.com/iCwk26gQfs
— Marianna Sotomayor (@MariannaNBCNews) February 26, 2020
South Carolina Republicans Plan To Boost Bernie To Help Trump
First, Trump supporters called the Iowa caucus hotlines to jam up reporting the results – and now this. From the New York Post:
Republicans in South Carolina have hatched a plan to encourage GOP voters to support Sen. Bernie Sanders in the state’s upcoming Democratic primary, arguing that he poses the weakest threat to President Trump in the general election.
That plan has two goals: Boost the candidate the party believes will have the hardest time winning the state in November against Trump, and pressure Democrats to support their effort to have closed state primaries in the future.
South Carolina has open primaries, which means voters can participate in any primary without being required to register with a specific party.
New Buttigieg Ad Goes Up In South Carolina
The Hill reports Mayor Pete Buttigieg is putting $2 million behind his first campaign ad buy in South Carolina in advance of the upcoming Democratic primary in February. As has been widely reported, while the mayor has surged in Iowa and New Hampshire, he’s struggled with attracting black voters, which explains the new ad in South Carolina where black voters make up 60+ percent of the Democratic voting base. Says Buttigieg in the ad: “In our White House, you won’t have to shake your head and ask yourself, ‘Whatever happened to ‘I was hungry and you fed me. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’ When I say we’ve got to unify the American people it doesn’t mean pretending that we’re all the same. It means unifying around issues from wages and family leave to gun violence and immigration. The hope of an American experience defined not by exclusion but by belonging.” According to the RealClearPolitics average, former Vice President Joe Biden has a strong lead in South Carolina, at 35.3 percent followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), at 16.3 percent, and Sen. Bernie Sanders(I-Vt.), at 12.8 percent. Buttigieg is in fourth place, at 6.5 percent.
South Carolina & Nevada Polls Show Two Different Races
The first polls from CNN/SRSS on the upcoming South Carolina Democratic primary and the Nevada Democratic caucuses show two very different races. In South Carolina, former Vice President Joe Biden is miles ahead of everyone. Biden garners 37 percent support compared to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 16 percent support. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders pulled 11 percent support, and no other candidate got above 5 percent. But in Nevada, it’s Biden and Sanders neck-and-neck with 22 percent, and Warren at 18% among likely Democratic caucus-goers. No one else received more than 5 percent in Nevada.
We have a pair of QUALIFYING POLLS from CNN/SRSS that count for the Oct and Nov debates
South Carolina: Biden 37% Warren 16% Sanders 11% Buttigieg 4% Harris 3% Steyer 3% Nevada: Biden 22% Sanders 22% Warren 18% Harris 5% Buttigieg 4% Steyer 4% Yang 3% https://t.co/8QmPfHquLB — Zach Montellaro (@ZachMontellaro) September 29, 2019
News Round-Up: June 13, 2019
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| Opening night of ‘Potted Potter’ in Las Vegas |
Some news items you might have missed:
• I attended the opening night of the hit two-man play Potted Potter at Ballys Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last night. The show, which parodies all 7 books of the Harry Potter series in 70 minutes, has been running for years in the UK. The original stars opened the show here and I was thrilled to take my uber-handsome god son, Josh, to the performance.
• During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, John Cena talked about getting ‘accidental boners’ during wrestling matches.
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) somehow ‘straight-washed’ his proclamation observing the 3rd anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. DeSantis blamed the missing mention of the LGBTQ community on staffers. It was later added to the proclamation.
• A mother in South Carolina was arrested after walking into an elementary school and confronting her son’s bullies.
• The Australian man accused of killing 51 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand in March pleaded not guilty to all charges in a court on Friday.
• The 20 Democratic presidential candidates who qualified for the first Dem debates have been announced:
BREAKING: DNC announces the names of the candidates who will appear in the first Democratic Debates on June 26 & 27 from Miami. @chucktodd: “After months of campaigning and polling, the stage is now set.” pic.twitter.com/fQbafzHr26— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 13, 2019
News Round-Up: January 24, 2019
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| Ryan Worley (photo: Vinnie Cassidy) |
Some news items you might have missed:
• Las Vegas based photographer Vinnie Cassidy captures a gorgeous sunset moment (above) with Chippendales’ hottie, Ryan Worley.
• Australia’s postal survey on marriage equality in 2017 led to increased levels of anxiety and depression among LGBTs, according to a new study.
• The Supreme Court of Japan has ruled unanimously to uphold a law which forces transgender people to get sterilized before they can legally change their gender.
• An openly gay congressman who is a political opponent of anti-LGBT Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is leaving his job and the country amid death threats.
• In a ‘Hold my Dom Pérignon’ moment, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross (who is a billionaire) says he doesn’t understand why federal workers not getting paid during the Trump shutdown don’t just ‘take out loans’ to feed their families. #clueless
Wilbur Ross is @realDonaldTrump’s Secretary of Commerce.Wilbur Ross is a billionaire.
And this is billionaire Wilbur Ross saying he doesn’t understand why federal workers not getting paid during the #TrumpShutdown don’t just take out loans *to feed their families*.
Unreal. pic.twitter.com/YHHZqKa8sx
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 24, 2019
• The Trump Administration has waived anti-discrimination requirements for a federally-funded child welfare agency in South Carolina opening the door for discrimination of LGBTQ and non-Christian people who may be seeking to foster or adopt.
• Citing the recent article in The Atlantic regarding allegations of sexual abuse against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD has made the decision to remove Bohemian Rhapsody from contention for a GLAAD Media Award in the ‘Outstanding Film – Wide Release’ category this year.
• Dido has shared a gorgeous live rendition of her new single “Give You Up,” from her first album in five years, Still On My Mind, out March 8th.
Dido describes the track as “a good break up song, where you’ve been hurt but feel strong.”
“It’s that point in a relationship where you are pulling yourself out of the gutter and deciding that it’s their loss,” she adds. “Which I can totally relate to.”
Podcast: Broadway, Conversion Therapy, Transgender Soldiers, LGBT Workplace Discrimination, Out Oscar Winners
In this week’s podcast:
• Harvey Fierstein’s iconic play Torch Song is heading back to Broadway
• California aims to make so-called “ex-gay therapy” illegal
• Georgia lawmakers are trying to legalize discrimination against same-sex couples wanting to adopt
• South Carolina looks to label same-sex marriage as “parody” marriage
• Defense Secretary James Mattis has given Donald Trump his recommendations for transgender soldiers
• The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals says Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTs from workplace discrimination
• Anti-gay bakers in Oregon take their case to the state Supreme Court
• How many out LGBT Academy Award winners can you name?
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.
News Round-Up: February 20, 2018
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| Great Britain’s bob sled team |
Some news items you might have missed:
• Kenneth-in-the-212 points up that Great Britain’s bobsled team (above) has a lot to offer both on and off the track 😉
• Newly-installed Army Secretary Mike Esper says the issue of transgender soldiers serving in the military “hasn’t come up” when he talks to American soldiers.
• South Carolina lawmakers have filed legislation that would define marriage as only between men and women, and deem same-sex unions as “parody marriages.” One of the authors of the bill calls same-sex marriage “an impersonation of actual marriage.”
• The latest Quinnipiac poll shows a staggering 97% of Americans support requiring background checks for all gun purchases.
• The Department of Defense’s new policy on service by transgender troops is due tomorrow. Does Defense Secretary James Mattis have a plan?
• Out UK singer Calum Scott covers Gay Times Magazine. In his interview, Scott explains how his songwriting changed after coming out: “When I was honest about myself and my feelings and especially my sexuality, it started flowing out of me like a river.”
Hillary Clinton Wins South Carolina Democratic Primary
Immediately after polls closed in South Carolina, NBC projected former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will win the South Carolina Democratic Primary.
The final tally was a crushing win with Clinton getting 73% of the vote to Sanders’ 26%.
This brings Hillary’s total to winning three of the first four Democratic contests.
She currently leads in 10 of the 11 states holding contests on the upcoming Super Tuesday.
Hillary gave a great victory speech, especially these lines:
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"We don't need to make America great again. America has never stopped being great," Hillary Clinton delivers victory speech after #SCPrimary win: http://on.msnbc.com/1VKZ9P4Posted by MSNBC on Saturday, February 27, 2016