We’re on course for the oldest presidential race in US history – and one most people don’t want
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This was less Super Tuesday and more Predictable Tuesday.
As Donald Trump made his way to the stage at his Mar-a-Lago mansion, he had notched up victories across the country, from Texas to Tennessee, Alabama and many more between.
“This was an amazing day, an amazing night,” he crowed.
At almost exactly the same time, President Biden released a statement. It was an even more dominant performance for the sitting president, capturing all the states in play for him.
“Tonight’s results leave the American people with a clear choice: are we going to keep moving forward or will we allow Donald Trump to drag us backwards,” he wrote, mentioning Mr Trump three more times in the next four paragraphs.
It is clear where the minds of both men are now focused – 5 November this year, the scheduled date for the US election, and their bitter rival on the other side of the political aisle.
The starting gun in the race to the White House has been fired and this is a contest which will now, almost certainly, be between two old age pensioners who hate each other.
Read more:
Biden and Trump dominate Super Tuesday
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A hypothetical second term for President Biden would see him still in the White House aged 86 – and 82 for Donald Trump.
It is the oldest presidential head to head in US history and one most people in this country don’t want.
Even in deep blue California, some voters were dismayed that this is now the choice.
“It’s crazy to see that we have such an old president running and you just don’t have a lot of options. It’s sad to see, it’s very disappointing,” said Ghazi, a young Arab-American, as he exited the voting station in LA after spoiling his ballot.
It was a protest vote, he said, not just because of Mr Biden’s age but because of his support of Israel’s military intervention in Gaza.
“The Gaza issue is a big one,” he said.
“I think that the US should call for an immediate ceasefire. I’m probably not going to be flipping over and voting Republican, but I think that it definitely has a huge part to play in me not being an enthusiastic Democratic voter and coming out to vote for Biden.”
Joe Biden speaks at a campaign stop in Michigan in February. Pic: AP
Foreign policy is rarely a deciding factor in domestic elections in the US – but the longer the crisis in the Middle East rumbles on and dominates news coverage, the bigger problem it is for President Biden, particularly in key swing states like Michigan with large Arab-American populations.
In his speech, Mr Trump focused on immigration, which has typically been a happy hunting ground for Republicans.
He characterised the southern border as lawless and overrun, laying the blame solely at Mr Biden’s door.
Mr Trump hopes he can win over independent and moderate voters who are turned off by President Biden’s handling of the record influx of migrants. The tone of his speech was familiar, the message being that he and he alone can fix the problem.
He will likely have to wait another week before he is crowned the Republican nominee because his rival Nikki Haley is clinging on for now. But the race for the White House is all but cemented.
