Bloomberg Out

Michael Bloomberg dropped out of the race to be the Democratic Presidential nominee today and endorsed Joe Biden, after his first day on the ballot on Super Tuesday. His performance on Super Tuesday was disappointing, winning only American Samoa, not reaching the 15% threshold in many states, and coming in third place or worse in most states. He didn't win many delegates either.

Most Democratic voters rejected him once his flaws were pointed out, most forcefully by Elizabeth Warren, in the two debates that he participated in before dropping out.

This leaves the following candidates still in the running (in order of delegates won to date):

1. Biden

2. Sanders

3. Warren

4. Gabbard

As previously noted, Gabbard's candidacy is already dead in all but name, so there are really only three candidates running, whether or not she officially drops out of the race. She hasn't qualified for a debate since November. She has won only one delegate so far, for her second place finish in her birthplace of American Samoa, the only place where she has received more than 3.5% of the popular vote (she has received less than 1% of the popular vote so far). No one is suggesting her seriously as even a Vice Presidential candidate. The fact that she is still in the race has become a bad joke and she should drop out at this point. I had wondered if she had been staying in the race to allow her family and friends in American Samoa to vote for her, even though her campaign was futile. If so, she could drop out at any time now.

Warren's performance on Super Tuesday was extremely disappointing. She hasn't finished better than third place in a single primary or caucus so far (18 states and American Samoa have now all had their contests and about a third of the delegates have been awarded). Even in her home state of Massachusetts, she came in third place after first place Biden and second place Sanders in her home state of Massachusetts. She has come further back in the back, and failed to meet the 15% threshold in many states, and as has won only a small fraction of the delegates won by Biden and Sanders.

It was also apparent in Super Tuesday results that Warren remaining in the race is splitting the progressive vote and holding back Sanders, even tough Warren is not becoming a more viable candidate as a result.

Even though I think that Warren if the most qualified of the candidates to actually serve as President, I am now hoping that she drops out, so that she ceases to act as a spoiler of Sanders' candidacy. Even if she does stay in the race, people who might otherwise support her may end up voting for someone else (as I did) because she doesn't appear to have a viable path to win the nomination. On the other hand, meeting the 15% threshold might be easier now that the race is effectively a three way contest.

There are rumors from her aides that Warren is seriously considering dropping out of the race.