What is Super Tuesday? Apparently, our friends in the US call Super (insert chosen day of the week) to refer to a day when many states hold primary elections, which you can think of it as an internal election for a party.
Because unlike Singapore, over in the US, the major parties (and in this case, the Republican) hold “internal elections” to determine who would represent them to run for President.
And now, before Super Tuesday, it wasn’t 100% confirm that Donald Trump would be the Republican’s candidate yet.
So, 5 March 2024 was a Super Tuesday, and over one-third of all the nominees from the Republican and Democratic parties went head-to-head.
The outcome of Super Tuesday is a rematch that some say is unwanted. Current US President is the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination (in this case, Joe Biden). On the Republican side, it was between former US President Donald Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Trump leads Haley, and Haley has finally dropped out.
This means that Biden and Trump will go against each other – a deja-vu moment from 2020’s election fiasco.
So, what’s up with these two again?
Biden’s Shaky Term
COVID-19 was a blurry time, but the 2020 US presidential election was undoubtedly iconic. According to Pew Research, 66% of American citizens cast a ballot amidst the pandemic, and Biden emerged victorious 306-232 against Trump.
His win was thanks to support from young voters, voters of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those from the suburban areas. They were hopeful that Biden could represent them and champion their rights, especially with regard to foreign policies and abortion.
However, the past two years were not sunshine and rainbows. Loyalty and support for Biden wavered, with claims that he has been hostile and condescending to the Left.
The last straw for voters was his disagreeable foreign policies. His administration had a shameful attitude towards voters who were angry at his support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
Trump’s Redemption Arc?
After a sorry loss in 2020, Trump is back for revenge. He had been excited about Super Tuesday, saying that it is “a day we’ve been waiting for” and his rematch with Biden is “going to go down as the single most important day in the history of (the) country”.
Never mind that he has a slew of criminal charges. You can read more about them on Goody Feed here.
Trump seized the opportunity handed to him by Biden’s less-than-ideal administration and his charisma and enthusiasm have spurred his loyal supporters on. He has also the endorsements of notable figures such as State Governors and Senate Leaders, claiming that he can restore the American spirit and bring back leadership.
What about the People?
As Trump celebrates his election results in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, Biden released a statement shading his opponent.
In a salty spit of words, he claims that Trump is destroying American democracy as his campaign to be reinstated into power is “driven by grievance and grift, focused on his own revenge and retribution, not the American people”
Some Americans have shared, in a nationwide poll, that they do not want this rematch. 70% of poll respondents, half of whom are Democrats, believe that Biden should not be re-elected. 56% of respondents also think that Trump shouldn’t run at all.
The campaign will continue and final primaries are expected to happen on 4 June 2024. Until then, there have been calls for more independent voices.
And come November, we would be seeing two old men, with a combined age of 2,127 years old, on our screens repeatedly again.
Of course, we might still see people like Kayne West fighting alongside with them.