Joe Biden begins the Democratic debate by conceding he'll probably do poorly in the New Hampshire primary

• Former Vice President Joe Biden began Friday night's Democratic debate in Manchester, New Hampshire by conceding that he'll "probably take a hit" in the New Hampshire primaries next week.
• He suggested that Sen. Bernie Sanders would probably win the state, noting the Vermont lawmaker swept the 2016 New Hampshire primary against Hillary Clinton. 
• Biden is indeed at risk of a poor showing in next week's primary. He's trailing Sanders in New Hampshire, a state with similar demographics as Iowa.
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Former Vice President Joe Biden began Friday night's Democratic debate in Manchester, New Hampshire by conceding that he "took a hit" in the Iowa caucuses and he'll "probably take a hit" in the New Hampshire primaries next Tuesday. 

"This is a long race and I took a hit in Iowa and I'll probably take a hit here," Biden said, adding that Sen. Bernie Sanders swept the 2016 New Hampshire primary against Hillary Clinton. "Bernie won by 20 points last time and usually it's the neighboring senators that do well, but no matter what I'm still in this for the same reason." 

Biden then added he wants to bring the country together and "restore the soul of the nation" — his basic pitch for the presidency. 

The centrist former vice president stunned many by coming in fourth place in Iowa, trailing behind former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. He underperformed his campaign's expectations and recent polling — a rocky start to the primary season for a candidate widely viewed as the field's frontrunner. 

Biden is indeed at risk of a poor showing in next week's primary. He's trailing Sanders in New Hampshire, a state with similar demographics as Iowa.

Biden is also running behind his competitors in cash on hand and he's had to take time off of the campaign trail this week to court donors.

The former vice president's supporters argue he was always at a disadvantage in the very white states of Iowa and New Hampshire because his strength is with voters of color.

The campaign is banking on a big win in South Carolina, where black voters are expected to play a key role.

Biden: "I took a hit in Iowa, and I’ll probably take a hit here." #DemDebate #fitn pic.twitter.com/eOMS4v13Dt

— Sarah Dolan Schneider (@sarahedolan) February 8, 2020

 

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