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| South Carolina primary: Trump wins big while Jeb Bush drops out – live | South Carolina primary: Trump wins big while Jeb Bush drops out – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.48am GMT | |
| 03:48 | |
| Scott Bixby | |
| Fellow thwarted Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney applauded Jeb Bush’s campaign in a note on Facebook after Bush announced that he was suspending his campaign for the party’s nomination: | |
| .@JebBush followed his family's pattern of putting country above himself. I am proud to call him a friend. https://t.co/AxtPzgtqac | |
| The full text of Romney’s note: | |
| Today, Jeb Bush followed his family’s pattern of putting country above himself. His campaign has been about answers to real problems and about policies to strengthen our country. It has been a campaign conducted in the finest tradition of dignity and integrity and Jeb Bush gave it his all: he can have no regrets. I am proud to call him a friend. | |
| 3.40am GMT | 3.40am GMT |
| 03:40 | 03:40 |
| What we learned from a big Saturday in South Carolina and Nevada | What we learned from a big Saturday in South Carolina and Nevada |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| Three time zones apart, the eight presidential candidates from two parties vied for the hearts, minds and votes of South Carolina and Nevada. And if Saturday night’s results were any indication, many Americans are starting to really see the 2016 campaign as an opportunity for revolution. (Oh, and then there were seven.) | Three time zones apart, the eight presidential candidates from two parties vied for the hearts, minds and votes of South Carolina and Nevada. And if Saturday night’s results were any indication, many Americans are starting to really see the 2016 campaign as an opportunity for revolution. (Oh, and then there were seven.) |
| As watch parties and victory parties and “so long and thanks for all the fish” parties rage from Las Vegas to a place Donald Trump likes called Spartanburg, here are a few quick takeaways from the third round of a gauntlet toward the White House: | As watch parties and victory parties and “so long and thanks for all the fish” parties rage from Las Vegas to a place Donald Trump likes called Spartanburg, here are a few quick takeaways from the third round of a gauntlet toward the White House: |
| Bush family values only get you so far | Bush family values only get you so far |
| Nearly every Republican presidential candidate applauded the campaign run by Jeb Bush, who dropped out after a bitterly disappointing fourth-place finish in South Carolina, a state that helped make the Bush dynasty. | Nearly every Republican presidential candidate applauded the campaign run by Jeb Bush, who dropped out after a bitterly disappointing fourth-place finish in South Carolina, a state that helped make the Bush dynasty. |
| And yet! Despite his principled stand against Trump – Bush was, for a stretch, the only candidate willing to take on the New York billionaire – the voters wouldn’t, or couldn’t, embrace him. The success of Cruz’s campaign tactics in Iowa and, to a point, in South Carolina only underscore the reality that a willingness to play hard and even dirty is the most effective weapon in a campaign like this. | And yet! Despite his principled stand against Trump – Bush was, for a stretch, the only candidate willing to take on the New York billionaire – the voters wouldn’t, or couldn’t, embrace him. The success of Cruz’s campaign tactics in Iowa and, to a point, in South Carolina only underscore the reality that a willingness to play hard and even dirty is the most effective weapon in a campaign like this. |
| Clinton has slowed the Bern – for now | Clinton has slowed the Bern – for now |
| A few months ago, Hillary Clinton was expecting to take the Nevada caucuses in a walk. But she was backed into a corner of flesh-gripping and selfie-taking in the waning hours before the horse-trading began. | A few months ago, Hillary Clinton was expecting to take the Nevada caucuses in a walk. But she was backed into a corner of flesh-gripping and selfie-taking in the waning hours before the horse-trading began. |
| A loss on Saturday would have represented an existential crisis for Clinton, but a single-digit win in a diverse, working-class state like Nevada is hardly the victory the former secretary of state was hoping for. | A loss on Saturday would have represented an existential crisis for Clinton, but a single-digit win in a diverse, working-class state like Nevada is hardly the victory the former secretary of state was hoping for. |
| South Carolina and the so-called “Super Tuesday” states of the deep south promise to be more hospitable ground for Clinton. But it’s going to take the kind of footwork that usually stops after the New Hampshire primaries. Verdict: we shall see. | South Carolina and the so-called “Super Tuesday” states of the deep south promise to be more hospitable ground for Clinton. But it’s going to take the kind of footwork that usually stops after the New Hampshire primaries. Verdict: we shall see. |
| The Republican ‘establishment’ still doesn’t have a candidate | The Republican ‘establishment’ still doesn’t have a candidate |
| Bush was frequently criticized for selfishly using his Smaug cave’s worth of campaign cash to wage a one-man war against Marco Rubio, who many in the Republican establishment see as the party’s best chance at winning the White House in the general election. | Bush was frequently criticized for selfishly using his Smaug cave’s worth of campaign cash to wage a one-man war against Marco Rubio, who many in the Republican establishment see as the party’s best chance at winning the White House in the general election. |
| Should Bush drop out, the criticism went, Rubio’s road to the nomination would be cleared for mainstream Republican support. But even with Bush gone, Ohio governor John Kasich remains in the race, galvanized by his surprise second-place finish in the New Hampshire primaries and ready for a long-haul primary campaign until his home state votes on March 15. | Should Bush drop out, the criticism went, Rubio’s road to the nomination would be cleared for mainstream Republican support. But even with Bush gone, Ohio governor John Kasich remains in the race, galvanized by his surprise second-place finish in the New Hampshire primaries and ready for a long-haul primary campaign until his home state votes on March 15. |
| Even if every one of Bush’s supporters had voted for Rubio in South Carolina, the Florida senator still would have come in second to Trump. Rubio needs every “establishment” vote the polity has to offer, and Kasich has no intention of giving them up without a fight. Meanwhile, Trump’s delegate count will continue to climb... | Even if every one of Bush’s supporters had voted for Rubio in South Carolina, the Florida senator still would have come in second to Trump. Rubio needs every “establishment” vote the polity has to offer, and Kasich has no intention of giving them up without a fight. Meanwhile, Trump’s delegate count will continue to climb... |
| Donald Trump has cleared a path to the nomination | Donald Trump has cleared a path to the nomination |
| Yes, you read that right. With the notable exception of the 2012 primary campaign, every candidate who has won two of the first three contests has secured the Republican nomination. | Yes, you read that right. With the notable exception of the 2012 primary campaign, every candidate who has won two of the first three contests has secured the Republican nomination. |
| Trump captured a guaranteed 29 delegates from Saturday’s win in South Carolina, and the likelihood is that he’ll win the vast majority of the state’s remaining 21 district-based delegates, too. | Trump captured a guaranteed 29 delegates from Saturday’s win in South Carolina, and the likelihood is that he’ll win the vast majority of the state’s remaining 21 district-based delegates, too. |
| Trump is now on the verge of having more than twice as many delegates as his nearest Republican rival. Cruz and Rubio may decry “the pundits” who have called the race for Trump, but mathematics don’t lie. | Trump is now on the verge of having more than twice as many delegates as his nearest Republican rival. Cruz and Rubio may decry “the pundits” who have called the race for Trump, but mathematics don’t lie. |
| You say you want a revolution? | You say you want a revolution? |
| Two months ago, Clinton’s lead in Nevada appeared nearly insurmountable. Six months ago, the notion that the billionaire Donald Trump could actually win two primaries would have gotten you locked in a padded room. | Two months ago, Clinton’s lead in Nevada appeared nearly insurmountable. Six months ago, the notion that the billionaire Donald Trump could actually win two primaries would have gotten you locked in a padded room. |
| And yet! Here we are. Dissatisfaction with the political status quo is no longer easily dismissed as the capricious anger of the perennially dissatisfied; it’s the motivating force behind the two most ascendent political campaigns on the national stage. | And yet! Here we are. Dissatisfaction with the political status quo is no longer easily dismissed as the capricious anger of the perennially dissatisfied; it’s the motivating force behind the two most ascendent political campaigns on the national stage. |
| (Oh, and Expect Ben Carson to drop out after the Nevada caucuses on Tuesday – earlier, if he has to go home for a fresh change of clothes.) | (Oh, and Expect Ben Carson to drop out after the Nevada caucuses on Tuesday – earlier, if he has to go home for a fresh change of clothes.) |
| That’s it from Columbia, South Carolina. Tune in tomorrow, the next day, and every day after that as the Guardian documents the minute-by-minute happenings in the most dramatic presidential primary campaign in living memory. | That’s it from Columbia, South Carolina. Tune in tomorrow, the next day, and every day after that as the Guardian documents the minute-by-minute happenings in the most dramatic presidential primary campaign in living memory. |
| It’s the final countdown... | It’s the final countdown... |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.41am GMT | at 3.41am GMT |
| 3.35am GMT | 3.35am GMT |
| 03:35 | 03:35 |
| How many days until Christmas? | How many days until Christmas? |
| This is now a shirt you can buy pic.twitter.com/EFNy5Flb2Q | This is now a shirt you can buy pic.twitter.com/EFNy5Flb2Q |
| 3.24am GMT | 3.24am GMT |
| 03:24 | 03:24 |
| Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush announced the end of his campaign in South Carolina, following a weaker than expected performance in the state primary. | Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush announced the end of his campaign in South Carolina, following a weaker than expected performance in the state primary. |
| An emotional Bush told the gathered audience that he was proud of the campaign he has run, but that “the people of Iowa, and New Hampshire, and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision.” | An emotional Bush told the gathered audience that he was proud of the campaign he has run, but that “the people of Iowa, and New Hampshire, and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision.” |
| 3.15am GMT | 3.15am GMT |
| 03:15 | 03:15 |
| Matt Sullivan | Matt Sullivan |
| It was impossibly sad to watch Ted Cruz supporters watch Ted Cruz lose the state where he was supposed to claim the mantle of lawyers, guns and God – or at least finish second – and ended up admitting he remained “in a position to win this race”. | It was impossibly sad to watch Ted Cruz supporters watch Ted Cruz lose the state where he was supposed to claim the mantle of lawyers, guns and God – or at least finish second – and ended up admitting he remained “in a position to win this race”. |
| Fox News was blaring at the start (“Cruz’s to lose”) and then blaring a little less (“This is domination for Trump”) and then when the news came – “Cruz could come in third” – they just cut the audio altogether. Up came the country music, full-blast. | Fox News was blaring at the start (“Cruz’s to lose”) and then blaring a little less (“This is domination for Trump”) and then when the news came – “Cruz could come in third” – they just cut the audio altogether. Up came the country music, full-blast. |
| A Cruz spokesperson raced to clarify that Fox News had asked the campaign to change the audio for when they cut to this room here at the state fairgrounds in Columbia. | A Cruz spokesperson raced to clarify that Fox News had asked the campaign to change the audio for when they cut to this room here at the state fairgrounds in Columbia. |
| But here’s what a quiet, third-place “party” looks like when it’s not on TV: | But here’s what a quiet, third-place “party” looks like when it’s not on TV: |
| And then they cut to the room on Fox, cued the crowd and – hey, where’s the country music now? | And then they cut to the room on Fox, cued the crowd and – hey, where’s the country music now? |
| Fox was still half-blaring by the time a half-empty room was less half-empty: “If he can’t win South Carolina, where is he going to win?” | Fox was still half-blaring by the time a half-empty room was less half-empty: “If he can’t win South Carolina, where is he going to win?” |
| Bob Woodward, a 56-year-old member of the South Carolina Pastor’s Alliance here in Richland County, was barking back. | Bob Woodward, a 56-year-old member of the South Carolina Pastor’s Alliance here in Richland County, was barking back. |
| Trump was doing his wall thing, asking his victory crowd who was going to build The Wall. Mexico, is what he makes the crowd say. To which Woodward yelled at one of the two extra-large screens in a ballroom: “And how you gonna make ’em do it?” | Trump was doing his wall thing, asking his victory crowd who was going to build The Wall. Mexico, is what he makes the crowd say. To which Woodward yelled at one of the two extra-large screens in a ballroom: “And how you gonna make ’em do it?” |
| “I think that Donald Trump is the biggest farce in this election,” said the pastor, sitting down on a disappointing night. “He’s just a cheerleader’s cheerleader.” | “I think that Donald Trump is the biggest farce in this election,” said the pastor, sitting down on a disappointing night. “He’s just a cheerleader’s cheerleader.” |
| But there was not much cheering in Columbia. They were messaging that it was a “two-man race” for the simple fact that Cruz had actually won a state – and that he was from Texas, which comes up big on Super Tuesday in 10 day’s time. | But there was not much cheering in Columbia. They were messaging that it was a “two-man race” for the simple fact that Cruz had actually won a state – and that he was from Texas, which comes up big on Super Tuesday in 10 day’s time. |
| “There’s 50 states in this great nation,” the congressman Jeff Duncan said introducing Mister Third Place. | “There’s 50 states in this great nation,” the congressman Jeff Duncan said introducing Mister Third Place. |
| “Fifty-seven!” shouted a woman in the back, citing the Texas secessionist movement. | “Fifty-seven!” shouted a woman in the back, citing the Texas secessionist movement. |
| On Fox, Trump was talking about “Making America great again.” At the fairgrounds, a woman who had travelled from New Jersey, wearing a red, white and blue varsity jacket with the word CRUZ across the back, was talking about going home: “I think it’s a sad night for America,” she said. | On Fox, Trump was talking about “Making America great again.” At the fairgrounds, a woman who had travelled from New Jersey, wearing a red, white and blue varsity jacket with the word CRUZ across the back, was talking about going home: “I think it’s a sad night for America,” she said. |
| 2.55am GMT | 2.55am GMT |
| 02:55 | 02:55 |
| Matt Sullivan | Matt Sullivan |
| Ted Cruz, carrying his daughter on stage and looking despondent or at least a little tired, told supporters he and Marco Rubio had so far “effectively tied for second place”. | Ted Cruz, carrying his daughter on stage and looking despondent or at least a little tired, told supporters he and Marco Rubio had so far “effectively tied for second place”. |
| “Only one strong conservative is in a position to win this race,” he said at the state fairgrounds in Columbia, proclaiming himself as a general-election option against Hillary Clinton who, as opposed to Rubio, had already won a state in the primary campaign. | “Only one strong conservative is in a position to win this race,” he said at the state fairgrounds in Columbia, proclaiming himself as a general-election option against Hillary Clinton who, as opposed to Rubio, had already won a state in the primary campaign. |
| “We are the only campaign that has beaten and can beat Donald Trump. That’s why Donald relentlessly attacks us and ignores the other candidates.” | “We are the only campaign that has beaten and can beat Donald Trump. That’s why Donald relentlessly attacks us and ignores the other candidates.” |
| The Texas senator’s campaign ran up against an anti-establishment blockade from Trump, broke down in the evangelical north of the state that he was supposed to maintain and failed to surge with a message about the Supreme Court beyond a stray last-minute poll. Nonetheless, he said his campaign had left “the Washington cartel in full terror” of an uprising that he might still lead. | The Texas senator’s campaign ran up against an anti-establishment blockade from Trump, broke down in the evangelical north of the state that he was supposed to maintain and failed to surge with a message about the Supreme Court beyond a stray last-minute poll. Nonetheless, he said his campaign had left “the Washington cartel in full terror” of an uprising that he might still lead. |
| 2.54am GMT | 2.54am GMT |
| 02:54 | 02:54 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| “As president, I will rebuild our military,” Ted Cruz says, “stand unequivocally with the nation of Israel, and utterly destroy Isis.” | “As president, I will rebuild our military,” Ted Cruz says, “stand unequivocally with the nation of Israel, and utterly destroy Isis.” |
| “Together, we will secure the borders and keep America safe,” he continues. “And I give you my solemn word that every justice I appoint to the supreme court will be a principled constitutionalist who will be faithful and will vigilantly protect the rights of our children and grandchildren.” | “Together, we will secure the borders and keep America safe,” he continues. “And I give you my solemn word that every justice I appoint to the supreme court will be a principled constitutionalist who will be faithful and will vigilantly protect the rights of our children and grandchildren.” |
| “When I look at our young daughters,” Cruz says, “I know that I will fight with every breath in my body to ensure that they enjoy the same fundamental liberties that all of us have been blessed to inherit.” | “When I look at our young daughters,” Cruz says, “I know that I will fight with every breath in my body to ensure that they enjoy the same fundamental liberties that all of us have been blessed to inherit.” |
| “We will not go quietly into the night and give up on a brighter America.” | “We will not go quietly into the night and give up on a brighter America.” |
| 2.50am GMT | 2.50am GMT |
| 02:50 | 02:50 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| “If you don’t believe that Donald Trump is the best candidate to run against Hillary Clinton in November, if you believe we need a strong contrast with the Democrats, then we welcome you aboard our team,” Ted Cruz says. | “If you don’t believe that Donald Trump is the best candidate to run against Hillary Clinton in November, if you believe we need a strong contrast with the Democrats, then we welcome you aboard our team,” Ted Cruz says. |
| “We welcome you to be part of the over 200,000 volunteers and over 980,000 contributions - join us at TedCruz.org.” | “We welcome you to be part of the over 200,000 volunteers and over 980,000 contributions - join us at TedCruz.org.” |
| The crowd begins another “Ted! Ted! Ted!” chant, this one longer and louder than the first. | The crowd begins another “Ted! Ted! Ted!” chant, this one longer and louder than the first. |
| 2.47am GMT | 2.47am GMT |
| 02:47 | 02:47 |
| South Carolina has given us another remarkable result! | South Carolina has given us another remarkable result! |
| – Senator Ted Cruz, on his possible third-place finish. | – Senator Ted Cruz, on his possible third-place finish. |
| 2.46am GMT | 2.46am GMT |
| 02:46 | 02:46 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| “This election will be a referendum on the supreme court - and let me tell you, I cannot wait to stand on that debate stage with Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders, or whatever other socialist they nominate and make the case against their radical interpretation of the constitution!” Cruz says. | “This election will be a referendum on the supreme court - and let me tell you, I cannot wait to stand on that debate stage with Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders, or whatever other socialist they nominate and make the case against their radical interpretation of the constitution!” Cruz says. |
| The line falls, oddly, flat. | The line falls, oddly, flat. |
| 2.44am GMT | 2.44am GMT |
| 02:44 | 02:44 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| “First Iowa, then New Hampshire, now South Carolina. We don’t know the exact results right now - right now we are tied for second place. But each time we defy expectations, and defy the pundits,” Cruz says, spawning a spontaneous outburts of “Ted! Ted! Ted!” chants. | “First Iowa, then New Hampshire, now South Carolina. We don’t know the exact results right now - right now we are tied for second place. But each time we defy expectations, and defy the pundits,” Cruz says, spawning a spontaneous outburts of “Ted! Ted! Ted!” chants. |
| “The screaming you hear now from across the Potomac is the Washington cartel in full terror that the conservative grassroots found a voice!” Cruz cheers, before leading a moment of silence for the late supreme court justice Antonin Scalia, who he describes as a “ferocious defender of the constitution and the bill of rights.” | “The screaming you hear now from across the Potomac is the Washington cartel in full terror that the conservative grassroots found a voice!” Cruz cheers, before leading a moment of silence for the late supreme court justice Antonin Scalia, who he describes as a “ferocious defender of the constitution and the bill of rights.” |
| “As Ronald Reagan was to the presidency, so, too, was justice Scalia to the supreme court,” Cruz says, reiterating a common line from his stump speech. | “As Ronald Reagan was to the presidency, so, too, was justice Scalia to the supreme court,” Cruz says, reiterating a common line from his stump speech. |
| 2.41am GMT | 2.41am GMT |
| 02:41 | 02:41 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| Ted Cruz lauds newly minted dropout Jeb Bush, to polite applause from the assembled, as “a man who ran a campaign based on ideas, based on policy, based on substance, a man who didn’t go to the gutter and engage in insults and attacks.” | Ted Cruz lauds newly minted dropout Jeb Bush, to polite applause from the assembled, as “a man who ran a campaign based on ideas, based on policy, based on substance, a man who didn’t go to the gutter and engage in insults and attacks.” |
| “Governor Bush brought honor and dignity to this campaign.” | “Governor Bush brought honor and dignity to this campaign.” |
| 2.39am GMT | 2.39am GMT |
| 02:39 | 02:39 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| The second-to-last presidential candidate to speak following the South Carolina Republican primaries, Texas senator Ted Cruz began his speech at the Cruz campaign’s watch party in Columbia with to the strains of Where The Stars And Stripes And Eagle Fly and huge applause from his supporters. | The second-to-last presidential candidate to speak following the South Carolina Republican primaries, Texas senator Ted Cruz began his speech at the Cruz campaign’s watch party in Columbia with to the strains of Where The Stars And Stripes And Eagle Fly and huge applause from his supporters. |
| “You continue to defy the pundits and to produce extraordinary results,” Cruz began. | “You continue to defy the pundits and to produce extraordinary results,” Cruz began. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.56am GMT | at 2.56am GMT |
| 2.30am GMT | 2.30am GMT |
| 02:30 | 02:30 |
| Sabrina Siddiqui | Sabrina Siddiqui |
| From Jeb Bush’s watch party/wake in South Carolina: | From Jeb Bush’s watch party/wake in South Carolina: |
| Shell Suber, 49, told the Guardian that his feelings were “hard to put into words”. | Shell Suber, 49, told the Guardian that his feelings were “hard to put into words”. |
| “You work really hard to convince people he’s the best candidate,” he said. “But you have to get enough people to understand and believe it.” | “You work really hard to convince people he’s the best candidate,” he said. “But you have to get enough people to understand and believe it.” |
| Suber, from Columbia, described this as “an odd year” for Republican politics. “There’s so many candidates. And then there’s a celebrity candidate who has made it so difficult for the rest of us to get our message out and make our case.” | Suber, from Columbia, described this as “an odd year” for Republican politics. “There’s so many candidates. And then there’s a celebrity candidate who has made it so difficult for the rest of us to get our message out and make our case.” |
| Suber said he did not see what else Bush could have done. | Suber said he did not see what else Bush could have done. |
| “A lot of people will say he should have attacked Trump sooner but none of those people thought he would be a serious candidates back in June or July.” | “A lot of people will say he should have attacked Trump sooner but none of those people thought he would be a serious candidates back in June or July.” |
| Related: Jeb Bush ends bid for president after Donald Trump wins in South Carolina | Related: Jeb Bush ends bid for president after Donald Trump wins in South Carolina |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.31am GMT | at 2.31am GMT |