Former South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy said Democrats in his home state are not “passionate” about former Vice President Joe Biden and his bid for the White House.
During Fox News’s analysis of the South Carolina Democratic primary, Gowdy commented on Biden’s first victory in the Democratic presidential nominating process for the 2020 election.
“Joe had to win. And South Carolina was good to him because he’s been here a lot,” he said. Gowdy also noted that fellow Republicans in the state, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, have a positive relationship with Biden.
Ideology also counts for something in the deep-red state.
“South Carolina was never going to vote for somebody that describes himself as a socialist,” Gowdy said, taking a shot at Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the front-runner heading into Saturday’s contest.
Still, Gowdy downplayed any chance Biden might have to take the Palmetto State in the general election.
“Among my Democrat friends, I don’t sense a lot of passion about Biden. It was an obligation. It was like watching all the people open Christmas gifts. You got to do it,” Gowdy said in employing an analogy. “He had to win … I mean, you and I watch sports. It’s a game that you’re expected to win and you had to win.”
In the 2016 election, then-candidate Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in South Carolina by a double-digit percentage margin.
Gowdy said he believes Democrats are nervous that Sanders may snag the Democratic nomination from a more centrist candidate such as Biden, comparing the situation to “watching a chain smoker fill up his car with gas.”
Biden’s projected victory in South Carolina marks the first time he’s won a Democratic nominating contest over three presidential runs, going back nearly 33 years.
