BIG TURN-OUT for yesterday's Democratic Presidential Primary Election. In the round-up of 12 contributors recruited by CNN Opinion to weigh-in on the Democratic primary results in Arizona, Illinois and Florida > here's Jon Talton
The views expressed in these commentaries are solely those of the contributors.
The views expressed in these commentaries are solely those of the contributors.
Jon Talton: Biden's win puts Arizona in play for Dems
Jon Talton
Joe Biden's win in the Arizona Democratic primary makes him a bigger threat to President Donald Trump when the Grand Canyon State votes in the general election. Trump won Arizona by 48.1% to Hillary Clinton's 44.6 % in 2016.
If, as now looks almost certain, Biden becomes the party's nominee, he has a chance to swing the state's large independent voter base towards the Democrats.
Two large questions will be answered in the general election, as Trump seeks to repeat his 2016 Arizona win.
> Has an influx of Californians changed the state's political make-up?
> And will historically low Hispanic voter turnout change, as a rebuke to Trump's border wall and anti-immigrant policies?
Key factors to consider:
> Arizona's massive population growth hasn't changed its steady drift to the right.
> Republicans have controlled the powerful legislature for decades.
> And the anti-immigrant policies of the notorious former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, as well as the state's controversial SB 1070 "papers please" immigration legislation, failed to produce a Hispanic voter backlash.
True, Arizona's congressional districts are now evenly split, and the state has a Democratic Senator with Kyrsten Sinema — but she's a "blue dog" conservative, not a "revolutionary."
Still, Arizona has an independent streak.
Trump's unpopularity might give Biden a better chance than a progressive candidate like Bernie Sanders would have had.
Jon Talton is a fourth-generation Arizonan and former Arizona Republic columnist. He blogs on Arizona politics and history at Rogue Columnist.
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Bernie Sanders' devastating losses put him on the spot
Updated 12:12 AM ET, Wed March 18, 2020 
Ex-Obama strategist: Sanders has to think about this tonight 01:28
(CNN)CNN Opinion asks contributors to weigh in on the Democratic primary results in Arizona, Illinois and Florida -- and what they portend for the race ahead. The views expressed in these commentaries are solely those of the contributors.
Paul Begala: The coronavirus crisis raised the stakes
SPOILER ALERT: Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee for President. Period. Full stop.
Paul Begala
His resounding, astounding victory in Florida doesn't just send a message, it effectively ends the contest. At this writing, Biden is leading in 67 counties in the Sunshine State. There isn't a 68th. In Florida, as he has across 16 other states so far, Biden has assembled the multi-ethnic, multi-racial coalition essential for a Democratic victory in November.
Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator, was a political consultant for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992 and served as a counselor to Clinton in the White House.
Tara Setmayer: It's time for Sanders to step aside
Tara Setmayer
Joe Biden's landslide wins in Illinois and the important swing state of Florida should be the nail in the coffin for Bernie Sanders' candidacy. As primary voters in three states headed to the polls in the midst of an unprecedented national public health crisis, it's clear they decided they want former Vice President Biden to represent the Democratic Party in the November general election. . .
Tara Setmayer is a former GOP communications director, host of the "Honestly Speaking with Tara" podcast, a Harvard Institute of Politics 2020 Resident Fellow and a CNN political contributor. Follow her on Twitter @tarasetmayer.
Raul Reyes: Everything about the Tuesday primaries was abnormal
Raul A. Reyes
So much about Tuesday's Democratic primaries was abnormal. There were no rallies, no in-person campaigning, no victory parties. As with everything else in American life these days, "Super Tuesday 3" was overshadowed by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. We will never know how much the pandemic affected turnout and enthusiasm, which gives any conclusions an asterisk of uncertainty.
That said, two states with large numbers of Latinos voted on March 17.
Arizona could have been more favorable territory for Sanders, with a Latino population that skews younger and more Mexican-American than in Florida, though CNN projects Biden has won the Copper State.
Raul A. Reyes is an attorney and a member of the USA Today board of contributors. Follow him on Twitter @RaulAReyes.
Frida Ghitis: The longer Sanders stays, the better Trump's chances of winning
Frida Ghitis
It's time for Sen. Bernie Sanders to accept that he will not be the Democratic nominee, and that continuing the fight during a global pandemic and a national existential crisis would be irresponsible. Former Vice President Joe Biden won another round of decisive primary victories, with sweeping victories in Florida, Illinois and Arizona. The electoral arithmetic shows Biden will be the nominee -- that's the inescapable fact. .
This is no ordinary election; no ordinary moment.
Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She is a frequent opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to the Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. Follow her on Twitter @fridaghitis.
Chris King: Dems in the swingiest of swing states love Biden
Chris King
When I was running as the 2018 Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Florida, I had the unique opportunity to campaign alongside both Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders throughout the state. And while both men are indeed highly respected by the Democratic electorate, on Tuesday Biden undeniably demonstrated that he owns Florida, the swingiest of swing states. And there are a few good reasons why.
Chris King was the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Florida. He is the CEO of Elevation Financial Group in Orlando. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisKingFL.
Jen Psaki: What Biden and Sanders must do now
Jen Psaki
After tonight, a few things are clear. The Democratic primary is pretty much over. The delegate math is nearly insurmountable for Bernie Sanders.
The next few weeks will be a pivotal period for Joe Biden's team to aggressively court the troves of young people and the millions of Latinos who backed Sanders. The former vice president's message needs to be stronger, and he needs to reach out more directly to these voters.
It's also time to have a discussion about what will be in the Democratic platform.
Jen Psaki, a CNN political commentator, was the White House communications director and State Department spokeswoman during the Obama administration. She is vice president of communications and strategy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Follow her at @jrpsaki.
Errol Louis: Sanders approaches the point of statistical impossibility
Errol Louis
Joe Biden's powerful performance in Florida illustrates why Bernie Sanders is quickly approaching the point of statistical impossibility, when he cannot hope to match or exceed the number of delegates Biden has amassed.
Biden beat Sanders in all 67 counties in the state. In the northeast corner, he walloped Sanders by almost three-to-one in suburban Duval County, winning 66% to 23%, and by an even wider margin in the conservative panhandle in and around Tallahassee. . .
Errol Louis is the host of "Inside City Hall," a nightly political show on NY1, a New York all-news channel.
SE Cupp: Dems need a nominee they can get behind
SE Cupp
Tolerance among Democrats for Bernie Sanders' vainglorious and obstinate exercise in futility must be running out after Joe Biden's projected wins in Florida and Illinois. With no conceivable path to the nomination for Sanders, and a report earlier today in the Daily Beast that he does not plan on quitting after tonight, expect the frustration among Democratic operatives and even voters to grow more vocal.
Sanders is performing WORSE in some counties and states than he did in 2016, vaporizing his only selling point, which was that he could grow and expand the Democratic base. He is not; he cannot. Add to this, of course, the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic and global health crisis, and it makes his refusal to step aside even more painful and self-centered. Whether you like Biden or not, Democrats need a nominee they can galvanize and coalesce behind. And America deserves an election with a clear choice.
Scott Jennings: Democrats are turning out -- but so are Trump voters
Scott Jennings
Much has been made of the increased Democratic primary turnout, and it is true -- Democrats are turning out in 2020 in higher numbers than they did in 2016 (a stark reminder of what a mediocre candidate Hillary Clinton really was).
But not to be overlooked is the turnout President Donald Trump is generating in the Republican primaries. Trump's wins don't get as much press, but the essentially non-competitive nature of his primary makes his huge vote totals all the more interesting.
Scott Jennings, a CNN contributor, is a former special assistant to President George W. Bush and a former campaign adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell. He is a partner at RunSwitch Public Relations in Louisville, Kentucky. Follow him on Twitter @ScottJenningsKY.
Alice Stewart: Coronavirus is dictating who the primary winner is
Alice Stewart
Leadership in the era of the coronavirus pandemic is clearly on the ballot for voters in Florida, Illinois and Arizona. Before Super Tuesday 3.0, the choice for Democratic voters was moderate vs. progressive. At the height of the coronavirus scare, the driving force for voters appears to be who can they trust to handle a major crisis. And, according to CNN primary polling, voters trust former Vice President Joe Biden over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Nayyera Haq: Sanders' key voting blocs fail him again
Nayyera Haq
The fact that young people in Florida were flocking to beaches while much of the country is shutting down to prevent a pandemic from spreading further tells you a little about the priorities of a key Bernie Sanders voting bloc. The youth may have championed Sanders online and at rallies on college campuses, but once again they did not turn out to support him at the polls when it counted.
Nayyera Haq is a host on SiriusXM Progress and CEO of an international communications firm. She served in the Obama administration as a senior adviser in the State Department and a senior director in the White House. Follow her on Twitter @nayyeroar.
