Joe Biden's Last Hope

Imagine the headlines in the Sunday papers the day after the South Carolina primary on February 29:

BIDEN LEAPS BACK TO FRONT RUNNER STATUS  

LEAP DAY WIN HELPS BIDEN LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY 

AFTER 2/29 WIN IN SC, BIDEN LEAPS INTO MARCH LIKE A LION

Well, I'm sure that's what Biden would like to see.  And the former Vice President can still pull it off.  He still has the lead in the polls, and he's fighting like hell in South Carolina.  But even with that, it may not be enough.  Not only is Tom Steyer - who undistinguished himself in Iowa by winning a mere 0.3 percent, half of what Martin O'Malley got in 2016 - gaining in the South Carolina polls, so is Bernie Sanders.  One projection even has Sanders winning.

A solid performance in the Nevada caucuses on February 22 might help Biden gain traction in time for the South Carolina primary, but he faces two obstacles.  One is that Sanders is much better organized there despite opposition to his single-payer health care proposal due to the generous health benefits offered by the culinary worker's union, a big force in Nevada politics thanks to the hospitality business in Las Vegas and Reno.  Another is that the culinary union, whose support Biden was counting on to give him a boost in the Silver State, has decided not to endorse anyone.  Sort of reminds me of the "Muppet Show" episode parodying awards shows in which Miss Piggy is in both sketches up for Best Muppet Sketch and knows she can't lose . . . until the judges decide not to give out the award.  Biden must be fuming in private about losing his chance to grab a major endorsement and get some desperately needed positive media attention.

Biden doesn't seem to be doing enough to shore up his support in South Carolina, especially among black voters, and his palmetto firewall is showing cracks and splits.  He still has a chance to turn things around, but the feeble, lackadaisical nature of his campaign in recent weeks suggest that he's not up to the task.  He might have to withdraw as a candidate on March 1 . . . and the Democrats could leap into chaos in time for Super Tuesday.