Hillary Clinton defeats Bernie Sanders to win South Carolina primary

(THE GUARDIAN)HillaryClintoncrushedBernieSandersintheSouthCarolinaprimaryandimmediatelyturnedtopotentialbattlesaheadassheofferedavisionforAmericabasedon“loveandkindness”instarkcontrasttotheangeranddivisionpromotedbyDonaldTrump.

Pollsclosedat7pmlocaltimeacrossSouthCarolina,andwithinsecondstheAssociatedPresshadcalledavictoryforClinton.

Finalpollshadsuggestedshewasheadingforavictorymarginofmorethan27points,buttherealitywasmuchmoreoverwhelming–with100%ofthevotescounted,Clintonled73.5%to26%overSanders.

TheVermontsenatorhadineffectconcededdefeatwithintwohoursofpollsopeningSaturdaywhenheflewoutofthestate,headingforTexasandMinnesota,twooftheSuperTuesdaybattlegroundsloomingthisweek.

WiththeSouthCarolinastagetoherself,Clintonpromised:“Tomorrowwetakethiscampaignnational.”

AndinapointedmessagetoDonaldTrump,shesaid:“Despitewhatyouhear,wedon’tneedto‘makeAmericagreatagain’.Americahasneverstoppedbeinggreat.ButwedoneedtomakeAmericawholeagain.

“Insteadofbuildingwalls,weneedtobetearingdownbarriers.

Relishinghervictory,shesetherselfupfirstasamoreroundedcandidatethanSanders–“Americaisn’tasingleissuecountry,myfriends”–andthenasanoptimisticcounterpointtoTrump.

“Iknowitsometimesseemsalittleoddforsomeonerunningforpresidentthesedays,inthistime,tosayweneedmoreloveandkindnessinAmerica,”Clintonsaid.“ButI’mtellingyoufromthebottomofmyheart,wedo.”

AssociatedPressexitpollsshowedthataboutsixin10SouthCarolinavoterswereblack,ademographicinwhichSandersappearedtohavehadlittlecut-through.TheexitpollsalsosuggestedthatClintonwon84%to16%withblackvoters.

SheinvokedcivilrightsheroesRosaParks,MartinLutherKingJrandJohnLewisasshesaidAmericamustfacetherealityofsystemicracisminitsbrokencriminaljusticeandimmigrationsystems.

TheresultinSouthCarolinameanssheheadsintoTuesday’scontestsacross12statesbelievingshecanbegintopullawayfromhertenaciousrivalfromVermont.

SanderstookofffromDallasboundforRochester,Minnesotatwominutesbeforepollsclosedandwasintheairwhentheresultwasannounced.Hiscampaignteamsatinsilenceatthefrontoftheplansasmembersofthemediaintheseatsbehindsoughtaresponsetotheresult.

Inastatementreleasedbyhiscampaign,Sanderssaid:“Letmebeclearononethingtonight.Thiscampaignisjustbeginning.WewonadecisivevictoryinNewHampshire.ShewonadecisivevictoryinSouthCarolina.Nowit’sontoSuperTuesday...Ourgrassrootspoliticalrevolutionisgrowingstatebystate,andwewon’tstopnow.”

AfterextractingawinfromavirtualtieinIowa,losingoverwhelminglyinNewHampshire,andreboundinginNevada,SouthCarolinagaveClintonherfirstbigwinofthecampaignwithjustthreedaystogobeforetheSuperTuesdaycontests,wheresheispoisedtowinhandilyinstateswithsimilarelectorates.

Clintonworkedhardinthestate,dedicatingmuchofthepastweektocampaigninginchurches,communityhallsandcollegecampuses.Shewasjoinedbyamajorfigureinthecivilrightsmovement,congressmanJamesClyburn,whorefusedtoendorseacandidatein2008,andotherlocalpoliticians.

ThemothersofTrayvonMartin,EricGarnerandotherblackmenkilledbypoliceofficersalsocampaignedforherinthestate.Atalmosteveryevent,shespokeforcefullyaboutthewomen’sstruggle.

ObamaremainswildlypopularamongDemocratsinSouthCarolina,andespeciallyamongblackvoters.Clintonsoughttolayclaimtothepresident’smantlebyembracinghissignaturepoliciesandemphasizingtheircloseness.

“I’mreallyproudtostandwithPresidentObama,”ClintonsaidataneventKingstreeonThursday.“AndIamreallyproudtostandontheprogresshe’smade,becauseIwanttobuildonitandgofurther.IwillnotlettheRepublicansripitawayandsetusbackwards.”

ButtherewerealsosignsthatClintonstillhasworktodo.OnWednesdayshewasconfrontedatafundraiserinCharlestonbyBlackLivesMatterprotesters,whodemandedsheapologizefortheconsequencesofherhusband’s1994crimebillandforhavingcalledyoungblackmales“super-predators”ina1996speechoncrime.

InastatementtotheWashingtonPost,Clintonsaid“shouldn’thaveusedthosewords,andIwouldn’tusethemtoday”.AskedaboutthecrimebillduringatownhallinCharleston,shesaiditsconsequenceswere“serious”andshehadproposedanagendaforhealingsomeofthedamagedonebythelaw,especiallytocommunitiesofcolor.

SandersspenttimeandmoneyontheSouthCarolinaprimary,tweakinghisstumpspeechtoincludeananecdoteaboutmarchingwithMartinLutherKingJr,appearingatcampaigneventswiththerapperKillerMikeandairingaradioadfromfilmdirectorSpikeLee.

ButSanders’teamalwaysbelievedthesouthwouldbeauphillstrugglecomparedtomoreprogressivestatesinthenorthandwestofthecountry.InSouthCarolina,SandersdulystruggledtointroducehimselftovoterswhohavelongknowntheClintonname.

“Idon’tevenknowBernieSanders.Whoisthat?”saidonevoter,TJackson,afterleavingapollingstationinHopkinsonSaturday.“Nothingagainsthim.I’veneverevenheardofhimbeforenow.Butwe[have]knownHillaryforever.”

ItwasthatfeelingoffamiliarityandloyaltythatdrewJacksontothepollingboothonSaturdaymorning.

“Inthelastelection,wewereinlinewhentheydeclaredthewinnerandIhadn’tevenvotedyet.Soevidentlymyvotedidn’tcount,”Jacksonsaid.“Itwasverydisappointing.Myvotedoesn’tmatter.ButIvoteanyway,Ivotedtoday,hopingthatitdoesmatter.”

BernieSandersaddressesarallyattheVerizonTheaterinGrandPrairie,Texas.Photograph:LauraBuckman/AFP/GettyImages

PattieMurray,apreschoolteacherfromHopkins,wasamongaminorityofvoterswhohadnotyetforgivenClintonfortheheatedcampaignsheandBillClintonranagainstObamain2008.ObamawonSouthCarolinaby28points,avictoryheowedinlargeparttothesupportofblackvoters.

“ShesaysthatshewouldkeepObama’spoliciesandeverything,”Murraysaid,“butshereallybashedhimwhentheyranagainsteachother.Intheverybeginning,shereallywasreallyagainst[him]andbasicallysaidhewasn’tthepersonforourcountry.Nowtogetthatvote,she’ssayingshe’llcontinuehispolicy.”

OntheSandersplane,asSouthCarolinarecededintothedistance,JaneSanderstoldreportersthecampaignwouldregarditasagoodnightifhereached40%ofDemocraticvotersinthestate.SomeintheSanderscampwereprivatelybracedforworsethana20-pointgulf–particularlyamongAfricanAmericanvoters.

“Ithinkwe’regettingalotbetter[atreachingAfricanAmericanvoters]–it’sjustthattheydidn’tknowus,”saidJaneSanderswhenshewasaskedbytheGuardianwhyeffortstoreachthiscrucialDemocraticconstituencyappearedtohavebeenunsuccessful.“Theydidn’tknowusinthesouthgenerally.”

Shesaid:“HillaryClintonhasfoughtthreeelectionsthroughthesestates.Thisisourfirst.FromMaytoDecember,themediadidn’ttake[Bernie]seriously.Theydidn’thaveachancetomeethim.That’snotbecauseweweren’ttrying,butwecouldn’tspendasmuchtimeinthesouthaswe’dlike.”

Sanders’relativelylukewarmpositiononguncontrolalsoappearstohavehurtthecampaigninSouthCarolina,wherememoriesoflastsummer’sshootingataCharlestonchurchareraw,butJaneSanderswasunrepentantaboutthemorenuancedposition.

“Ifinditinterestingthattherearesomestateswhereshe’shitushardongunsandsomestatesshe’snottalkingaboutit,”shesaid.“Bernieissayingthesamethingineverystate,sothateverybodyknowswherehestands.”

TheSandersteamhopestoputSouthCarolinabehinditmorequicklythanitssetbackinNevada,inpartbecauseexpectationswerelowbutalsobecauseitremainsconfidentofpickinguplargenumbersofdelegates–ifnotoutrightwins–onSuperTuesday.

“Themoodisgood.It’sgoingaswethought,”saidJaneSanders.“It’sa50-stateelectionandthestatesthatsheispickingupareredstates.”

ShealsodefendedthedecisiontoleaveSouthCarolinasoquickly.“They’rejustvotingtoday.WewanttogettoTexasandMinnesotaandit’sdifficulttogetitallin.Timeisshort.”

ThereceptioninAustin,thefirstoftwoTexasralliesonSaturday,certainlyappearedstarklydifferent.ThousandsflockedtoaracetrackoutsidetheliberalcitytohearSandersreturntohismoretypicalcallforpoliticalrevolution.

Privately,staffsaythecampaignhopestopickupdelegatesratherthanwinoutrightinTexas,butthesenatordidnotseemtohavegottenthememoaboutexpectationsmanagement.

“Ifallofyoucomeouttovoteandbringallyourfriendsandfamily,wearegoingtowinhereinTexas,”Sanderssaid,towildapplause.