Former Florida Governor > Jeb Bush dropped out of the race for Republican presidential nomination after finishing fifth in the South Carolina primary that was won by Donald Trump. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton won the Nevada caucus, beating Senator Bernie Sanders by five percentage points, a margin much lower than predicted even weeks ago.
Mr Bush’s exit from the scene has narrowed the Republican race to three people — Mr Trump and Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, all of who made triumphant speeches after the results. Mr Bush’s emotive exit speech marked, more than the unpredictability of politics in general, the unprecedented course that the current presidential election cycle has set on. Bush was the obvious choice when the race began and raised a war chest of $ 100 million with hardly any effort. But it all ended rather ingloriously on Saturday evening. “The people of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken and I really respect their decision, so tonight I am suspending my campaign,” he said. Mr Bush had the most formidable endorsements from the Republican establishment and donors. Mr Trump had won New Hampshire also, while Mr Cruz won Iowa.
No Republican of worth has endorsed Mr Trump, the winner, and on top of it, he ended up last week with a public disapproval from the Pope for his consistent advocacy for a wall along the U.S southern border with Mexico. The Pope reportedly said those who seek to build walls were not good Christians. “The wall just got 10 feet higher,” Mr Trump declared after the victory in S.C with 32.5 percent votes. “Who will pay for the wall?” he asked rhetorically. “Mexico….”the crowd replied.
Mr Rubio who finished second with 22.5 per cent and Mr Cruz, who finished a close third with 22.3 per cent votes, both claimed to represent the voice of evangelical and conservative constituencies. "If it is God's will that we should win this election, then history will say that on this night in South Carolina, we took the first step forward in the beginning of a new American century,” Mr Rubio said, while Mr Cruz said his strong performance showed that a “Bible-believing Christian can in fact win.”
With Mr Bush’s exit from the scene, the Republican establishment and donors will now flock behind Mr Rubio, who was once his protégée. In fact, the last minute endorsement by S.C Governor Nikki Haley appears to have boosted Mr Rubio’s chances that were dimmed after his disastrous performance in New Hampshire.
Both Mr Rubio and Mr Cruz said nice words about Mr Bush to win over his supporters, but Mr Trump said nothing. Mr Trump has been savage in his attacks on Mr Bush throughout the campaign. In his victory speech, the winner rubbished the punditry that as more candidates dropped out, those votes will aggregate behind the most formidable anti-Trump candidate. “I will also get a share of those votes,” he said.
Not a single-issue country: Hillary
> After winning Nevada, Ms Clinton took pot shots at rival Mr Sanders whose campaign has been singularly focused on economic inequality. “The truth is, we aren't a single-issue country," she said in her victory speech.
Ms Clinton and Mr Sanders are leaving no stone unturned to win the black and Hispanic votes that will make or mar their prospects in the days ahead. Their ads and political speeches now focus on these voters.
"We have come a very long way in nine months," Mr Sanders said after the results. "We have the momentum," he said adding that his campaign was well on the way to creating “one of the great political upsets in American history."
