Super Tuesday sees strong protest vote against Biden in solidarity with Palestine

Saint Paul, Minnesota - Joe Biden triumphed in nearly all of the Democratic primaries on Super Tuesday – but not without a sizable protest vote.

Super Tuesday voters sent a strong message to President Joe Biden with "uncommitted" votes in key primary races.
Super Tuesday voters sent a strong message to President Joe Biden with "uncommitted" votes in key primary races.  © Collage: STEPHEN MATUREN / AFP & MANDEL NGAN / AFP

The Super Tuesday election results further cemented Biden's status as the presumptive 2024 Democratic nominee for president, teeing him up for a likely rematch against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.

But the results also showed the president might have a difficult time rallying the base that propelled him to victory in 2020, largely due to his continued support for Israel's assault on Gaza.

In Minnesota, 18.9% of the Democratic primary vote was "uncommitted" – a protest option that has become directly tied with the current administration's policy toward Israel and Gaza.

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Biden got 70.6% of the vote, while Congressman Dean Phillips scored just 7.8% in his own state. Marianne Williamson, who last week announced her decision to revive her suspended campaign, got 1.4%.

More Super Tuesday voters show solidarity with Palestinians

In Tennessee, 7.9% of voters opted to cast "uncommitted" ballots, as did 6% of Alabama voters and 3.9% of Iowa voters.

Massachusetts and North Carolina voters chose the "no preference" option at 9.4% and 12.7%, respectively, while the "noncommitted delegate" option got 8.1% of the vote in Colorado.

Virginia, which did not have an "uncommitted" option, saw protest voters opt for Williamson, who garnered 7.8% to Biden's 88.7%.

In Democrats Abroad, whose Global Presidential Primary began on Super Tuesday and runs through March 26, military and civilian citizens overseas have the option of voting "uncommitted."

Biden campaign plagued by protests over Israel support

Protesters raise Palestinian flags and signs demanding a permanent ceasefire and an end to Biden administration for Israel's assault on Gaza in a rally outside the White House.
Protesters raise Palestinian flags and signs demanding a permanent ceasefire and an end to Biden administration for Israel's assault on Gaza in a rally outside the White House.  © Samuel Corum / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

The Super Tuesday votes followed off a successful campaign in the key swing state of Michigan, where over 100,000 voters cast "uncommitted" ballots in last week's primary in a rebuke to Biden.

Although the president saw a significant boost to his delegate count after Super Tuesday, the growing number of American voters expressing dissatisfaction with his candidacy spells trouble for the general election – unless he makes some big changes to his current policy.

Biden's continued supply of weapons and diplomatic support to Israel has earned him accusations of complicity in genocide, and protests in nearly every public appearance he makes.

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The administration's call for a six-week pause to the Israeli attacks does not go far enough to assuage voters demanding a permanent ceasefire and a path to Palestinian liberation following decades of Israeli occupation and oppression.

Israel has killed more than 30,717 people in Gaza since October. Nearly two million more Palestinians have been forcibly displaced as Gaza faces the imminent threat of famine due to an Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid.

Cover photo: Collage: STEPHEN MATUREN / AFP & MANDEL NGAN / AFP

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