Talking Points: Biden, Trump enter Super Tuesday with warning signs for both campaigns
MINNEAPOLIS — Sixteen states and territories, including Minnesota, have presidential contests this coming Super Tuesday. A third of the delegates on both sides are up for grabs that night.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are coming off tremendous wins in Michigan, but the vote there provided flashing warning signs on both sides.
Biden got 81% of the Michigan vote, but 13% of voters, or more than a hundred thousand people, voted "uncommitted." It was a protest vote against Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war. "Uncommitted" is also a choice Democrats have on Minnesota's ballot. Professor Larry Jacobs says that same protest vote is likely headed this way.
"They want the president to announce a permanent ceasefire, and to fully reexamine the U.S. policy to Israel. This is an extraordinary development," Jacobs said.
Democratic analyst Abou Amara said he is only "moderately" concerned.
"This is not DEFCON 5, but it is a legitimate sincere issue that has to be addressed by the president," Amara said.
Trump's Michigan win was also a blowout, but 27% voted for Nikki Haley knowing she has almost no chance to win the nomination.
Haley campaigned in Minnesota earlier this week, asking Republicans to deliver another Super Tuesday upset. Remember, on Super Tuesday in 2016, Marco Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz handily beat Donald Trump in the Minnesota caucuses.
"She needs to get some victories someplace on Super Tuesday. And if she doesn't get any of them, I just can't see her having a viable path forward," University of Minnesota Law School Professor David Schultz said.
While Biden's and Trump's nominations appear inevitable, all agree this is a strange year.
"It feels like we will have Biden-Trump rematch from four years ago. And still, it feels like almost anything could happen," Republican analyst Amy Koch said.
That feeling of a 2020 rematch is pretty widespread. With Biden there are deep concerns about his age. Trump is just three years younger, though poll after poll has said voters think Trump is less frail and in more robust health than Biden.
Trump also has four criminal trials hanging over his head, and he has more than a half-billion dollars in civil judgments he has to come up with.
Trump is expected to cement the nomination before Biden, largely because Republicans have fewer delegates. For example, Minnesota Democrats have 92 delegates to their convention, compared to Minnesota Republicans' 39. Trump's nomination should be wrapped up in fewer than two weeks because, after Super Tuesday, there are states like Georgia, Mississippi and Washington. Biden may have his nomination sewn up by March 19, following states like Florida, Illinois and Ohio.
Talking Points airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., live on CBS News Minnesota.
