Super Tuesday - Special Edition

Super Tuesday discussion at the ÖAG: The "resurrection" of candidate Joe Biden in a divided nation

The Austro-American Society together with “profil” used the day after the "Super Tuesday for a "Super Tuesday - Wednesday Special". ÖAG President Philipp Bodzenta and General Secretary Rainer Newald welcomed numerous guests who witnessed a daily analysis of top-class experts. Under the moderation of Martin Staudinger, head of profil international department, they discussed Joe Biden's surprising (re-)ascent past Bernie Sanders and possible consequences.

Yussi Pick (Managing Partner of Pick & Barth Digital Strategies) emphasized: “Bernie Sanders particularly addressed the real social concern of many US citizens. The result for Joe Biden was a real resurrection. The Democratic establishment has backed him, the momentum has shifted.” Coming together behind a big goal - the presidency - became more important in the past few weeks than, for example, choosing a woman as a candidate. Any risk is avoided here. Margaret Childs, CEO of Home Town Media and founder of Metropole Magazine, said: “I was surprised by Joe Biden's chase. If the Democrats can mobilize enough, we have a chance to win the race. ” She also referred to the insecurity and divisions in the party that were and are symbolized by the different candidates. The managing director of Mastermind Public Affairs Consulting, Peter Köppl, would recommend the Democrats to set up Bernie Sanders now, but considers Donald Trump the logical winner of such a populism duel: "The approval rates and popularity ratings for Donald Trump remain high, at the same time Democrats disagree, their candidates lack the pull to power. The European media, in particular, have shaped the picture of the candidates and campaigns in the USA differently than is negotiated there. " Verena Ringler, director of "European Commons", sees the United States more socially than ever, divided into two worldviews by different party affinities, "The public education system in the USA has not prepared young people for their role as citizens for decades . ” That brought advantages for the Republicans in elections, but restricted public discourse. In the hypothetical case of Bernie Sanders being elected president, she expects a system change inside, while a possible presidency of Joe Biden would be more politically oriented.