Trump gains ground with two consecutive wins in Iowa and New Hampshire
Biden ranks first even though his name is not on the ballot
In the rematch, former and incumbent presidents will win for the first time in 130 years.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump appear to have won the primary in New Hampshire, USA, held on the 23rd (local time).
Both former and current presidents comfortably won their first primary, solidifying their positions within the party, and raising the possibility that they will face each other in the general election in 2020.
◆Trump wins Iowa by landslide and also takes over New Hampshire
The Associated Press declared former President Trump’s victory based on its own analysis around 8 p.m., immediately after the primary ended on this day.
Major media outlets such as CNN, ABC, and NBC all soon joined the ranks, saying that former President Trump appeared to have won.
Former President Trump also took an overwhelming first place in the Iowa caucuses on the 15th, winning both of the early primary districts.
In particular, New Hampshire has a higher rate of independents than Iowa, and the primary was a primary rather than a caucus, so it was not easy to win, but it eventually achieved results.
He clearly demonstrated his presence as a strong candidate within the party by covering both regions, which are considered ‘presidential election weathervanes’. According to CNN and ABC, in the history of the Republican primary, candidates who won Iowa and New Hampshire consecutively became the final candidates without exception.
Former President Trump’s only rival, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, attempted to overturn the crushing loss in Iowa in New Hampshire, but failed to achieve her goal this time.
It is still only the early stages of the primary, and he is determined to continue challenging, but pressure to resign is expected to increase both inside and outside the party.
◆Biden wins even without name on printed paper
In the Democratic primary, President Joe Biden, whose name was not printed on the ballot, won, confirming his entry as the party’s most likely candidate.
President Biden and the Democratic Party attempted to use South Carolina as their debut stage in this year’s presidential election, instead of New Hampshire, where the primary was traditionally held first.
During the 2020 presidential election, he suffered the humiliation of finishing in 5th place in New Hampshire with 8.4% of the votes, and it was analyzed that the memory of barely managing to rebound in South Carolina played a role.
However, New Hampshire did not accept this request because the state was required by law to hold the first primary, and in the end, President Biden did not register as a candidate.
As a result, President Biden’s name was omitted from the Democratic primary ballot, and only the names of 21 people, most of whom were not well known, were printed.
Accordingly, President Biden’s supporters have been encouraging participation in the primary by writing their names in the ‘write-in’ field on the last line of the ballot, and this move has been effective. Major media outlets early declared President Biden the winner.
Ray Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, said on this day, “Even though President Biden’s name is not on the ballot, the residents of the Granite State (New Hampshire’s nickname) showed strong support for the great achievements of the Biden administration.” It is assessed that President Biden’s position as the Democratic presidential candidate has further improved.
◆“Trump-Biden rematch inevitable”… Competition around 80 years old
AP evaluated on this day, “Former President Trump easily won the New Hampshire primary, taking control of the party’s primary race, and making a rematch with President Biden in November feel more inevitable.”
If President Biden and former President Trump become final candidates, the same people as four years ago will compete for the presidency.
The difference is that while back then it was a contest between the incumbent president and a former vice president, this year it is a contest between the former and current presidents.
The last time a current or former U.S. president faced off in the presidential election was in 1892, when then-President Benjamin Harrison (Republican) and former President Grover Cleveland (Democratic Party).
At the time, both candidates were in their 70s, but the difference is that they are now approaching their 80s. President Biden, born in 1942, is currently 81 years old, and former President Trump, born in 1946, is 77 years old.
In her speech that day, former Ambassador Haley said, “Most Americans do not want a rematch between President Biden and former President Trump,” and added, “The party that retires the 80-year-old candidate first will win this election.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.