The Democratic presidential candidates came out of the Iowa caucuses acting like winners, delivering optimistic speeches to supporters while results from the caucuses remained a mystery due to delayed reporting of the results.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 59, was the first to make a public statement late on Monday.
“And we are feeling so good tonight, and I cannot wait; somehow, someway, I’m going to get on a plane tonight to New Hampshire,” said Klobuchar.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, 77 — who, according to various reports, did not reach viability in some caucus sites — also kept an optimistic tone.
“Folks, well, it looks like it’s going to be a long night, but I’m feeling good,” Biden said. “We don’t know exactly what it is, but we’re feeling good about where we are. So, it’s on to New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina.”
Candidates stuck to their stump speeches in lieu of being able to declare victory or have to spin disappointing results in their favor. Some of them had planned to board planes late on Monday night to head to New Hampshire and start campaigning ahead of the state’s Feb. 11 primary.
“It is too close to call, so I’m going to tell you what I do know,” said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, before a man yelled out, “You won!”
“Tonight showed our path to victory is to fight hard for the changes Americans are demanding,” Warren said.
With no results from Iowa, no candidates have an incentive to announce that they are dropping out of the race, a common occurrence after a poor showing in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses.
“At some point, the results will be announced, and, when the results are announced, I have a good feeling we’re going to be doing very well here in Iowa,” said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 78.
“Tonight, an improbable hope became an undeniable reality,” said former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 38. “We don’t know all the results, but we know by the time it’s all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation. By all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.”
