Clyburn Could Endorse Before South Carolina Primary

[DonViejo]

June 20, 2019 at 7:38 am EDT By Taegan Goddard

“For all the debate in Washington about Rep. James Clyburn’s place in the Democratic Party, here in his home state, his status as a kingmaker in the presidential primary is on solid footing,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The South Carolina Democrat’s ‘World Famous Fish Fry’ on Friday will attract 22 of the 23 Democratic presidential candidates—the most to gather for a single event so far this election cycle. The prior record: 19 candidates attended an Iowa Democratic Party fundraiser earlier this month.”

Clyburn says he could throw his support behind a 2020 candidate but only after a presidential debate is held in South Carolina, likely next year before the primary: “If I were to do it, that’s the time I would be doing it.”

###

https://politicalwire.com/2019/06/20/clyburn-could-endorse-before-south-carolina-primary/

[Gothmog]

1. Clyburn was backing Biden on the latest issue

This is very nice to see https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/20/why-joe-biden-is-so-defensive-over-his-remarks-about-segregationists/?utm_term=.ab8bb7949ad8

Biden has powerful Democratic backers on this: The highest-ranking African American member of Congress, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), told reporters Wednesday he understands where Biden is coming from and that he, too, worked with people such as Strom Thurmond. Other black Democrats in Congress tried to frame Biden’s words in charitable ways.

“I think the sentiment is something that we all know in the legislative body — that you work with people you don’t agree with,” Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.), a co-chairman of Biden’s campaign, said.

The Clyburn comment in particular is helpful to Biden. If there’s one friend in Congress you want to make as a Democratic presidential candidate, it’s probably Clyburn. He rules South Carolina Democratic politics, and South Carolina is the first early voting state with a majority black Democratic primary voters. Biden and his opponents will be campaigning in South Carolina this weekend at Clyburn’s famous fish fry.