Super Tuesday saw a stunning comeback for former Vice President Joe Biden — but amid the pomp of victory, the weaknesses of his candidacy continued to shine through.
At a victory rally in Los Angeles, Biden got his wife confused with his sister, Breitbart reported. It was the latest gaffe for the Democratic primary contender, whose numerous episodes of confusion had led many to write off his candidacy before he swept Tuesday’s primaries.
A blunder-filled “Super Thursday”
Biden had continued to show his age on Monday when he forgot the words of the Declaration of Independence, which he referred to in confusion as “the thing,” according to Fox News, and he told voters to show up and vote for him on “Super Thursday.” Thankfully for him, they knew what he meant to say.
In a shocking turn of events, Biden swept the southern United States in Tuesday’s primaries, racking up wins in states like Virginia and Texas, the second biggest delegate haul, and notching surprising victories in Massachusetts, Maine, and Minnesota, according to the Associated Press. The night well and truly reset the Democratic primary into a two-man contest, with Biden suddenly appearing to come out on top.
In Los Angeles, Biden didn’t hesitate to bask in the glow of an unexpected triumph. “It’s a good night and it seems to be getting even better,” he began, according to Breitbart. “They don’t call it Super Tuesday for nothing.”
But there was an awkward moment when Biden, flanked by his wife Jill and his sister, Valerie, introduced his wife as his sister. He quickly corrected himself, Breitbart noted.
“Oh no, they switched on me. This is my wife, this is my sister, they switched on me,” Biden said.
Biden’s big comeback?
The candidate had a similar episode earlier with week with Fox journalist Chris Wallace, whom he mistakenly called “Chuck” in an interview just two days before Tuesday’s primary, according to The Hill. Biden also caused confusion recently with a tall tale about getting arrested while trying to see Nelson Mandela in prison in the 1970s.
With this cognitive decline in the background — or the foreground, depending on your perspective — Biden’s campaign had been dismissed as a laughing stock after he suffered early defeats in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, where he finished in fourth, fifth, and a distant second, respectively.
But he had a change of fortune after winning the South Carolina’s primaries — his first primary win ever, and, it turns out just the first in a chain — and then won endorsements from former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who both dropped out ahead of Tuesday’s matchups.
While Sanders won California, the largest delegate prize, Biden’s thumping nationwide rebuke slowed the socialist’s momentum and solidified Biden’s status as the moderate choice for the nomination. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, meanwhile, dropped out in humiliation and endorsed Biden after winning only the U.S. territory of Samoa — but not before pouring over half a billion dollars into a failed campaign, Vice noted.
Set against the backdrop of his stunning comeback, Biden’s continued episodes of confusion have made for an ironic and almost surreal spectacle. But funny as the gaffes may seem, for the first time ever, they’re more than just jokes.
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