Biden: Winning in South Carolina by 1 point is ‘enough’

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) late Tuesday reiterated his vow to win South Carolina’s presidential primary, saying that a 1-point margin of victory in the Palmetto State, where he once led the 2020 field by double digits, would be “enough.” 

In an interview with CBS News’s Major Garrett, Biden repeated the claim that he made on the debate stage earlier in the evening.

“I’m going to win South Carolina,” said Biden.

“I think it’s just important that I win. One point is enough, but I think I’m going to win by a lot more than that,” he added.

His remarks followed questioning from CBS’s Gayle King during the debate in Charleston, S.C.

King repeatedly pressed the former vice president on whether he would drop out of the primary should he fail to defeat Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in South Carolina, noting Biden’s earlier comments that the state would decide the Democratic primary race.

“Folks, I intend to win South Carolina and I will win the African American vote here in South Carolina,” he said at the debate.

“I will win South Carolina,” he added when asked if he would drop out.

Political analysts have pointed to the state and its large population of black voters as a crucial test for Biden’s campaign, warning that the vice president must make a strong showing in the state after disappointing finishes in the first three election contests.

“Biden really has to stake his claim here,” University of South Carolina political science professor Robert Oldendick told USA Today. “I think he has to win. If he does not win in South Carolina, it’s pretty much the end of his campaign.”