Why Rep. Jim Clyburn Endorsed Joe Biden

REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC): Vice President Biden has a history of getting along with people on both sides of the aisle, people irrespective of what their stations in life may be. I have worked very closely with him for a couple of dozen years. I know him very well. He has, what I think, is necessary to set our country back on course, bring our people back together. This country is too divided and it’s divided along racial lines, gender lines, class lines. This, to me, is idiotic. We need somebody in the White House which will step outside of these what I call noisy areas (ph) and onto a stage of bringing people together.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: All right.

CLYBURN: And that’s why I’ve gone as far as I have with Joe Biden.

AMANPOUR: OK. But you’ve also said — I mean, he’s your friend, you’re backing him, that actually his campaign needs to be seriously retooled that you’re not going to sit idly by. I mean, you’ve said this and watch mismanagement of the campaign. And in fact, Biden sort of, you know, agreed with you and admitted as much when he was talking on the Sunday programs. Just listen.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He’s right about the fundraising. But for example, just last night we raised $5 million online. We’ve raised about $18 million so far just this month. Things are beginning to change. And he’s right and I listen to his counsel and I think he — and I listen to his counsel relative to how I can get better as well.

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AMANPOUR: So, how do you think he’s got to get better to compete properly on Super Tuesday and do you think that, you know, South Carolina was maybe a flash in a pan and it might not re-materialize on Super Tuesday? What is your prediction?

CLYBURN: Well, I predict he’s going to do very well on Super Tuesday. I was up in North Carolina last night. I may be in Virginia later today. I think he’s going to do well in North Carolina, in Virginia. Alabama, Mississippi, Texas. And I think we will surprise people in California as well. So, I don’t think South Carolina was a flash in the pan. I think a lot of people were waiting to see whether or not he would come to life in South Carolina, and he did come to a great life in South Carolina. And I think that was a launching pad. I said in the outset that what I was trying to do is to create a surge to go into 14 states and I think one of the territories as well.