US Democratic primaries: who are Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson, Joe Biden’s competitors?

A long-distance duel could truly begin in the race for the White House. While Donald Trump leads on the Republican side after his two inaugural primary victories in Iowa and then New Hampshire, current US President Joe Biden enters the South Carolina race on the Republican side this Saturday. Formality? Not really. Like his great rival, Biden will still have to eliminate two rivals to become his party’s official nominee: Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson.

Dean Phillips: Next Generation

Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips has a business background. He worked as a startup manager for a long time before heading his family’s business, Phillips Distilling, an alcohol brand.

If his program does not stand out in the person of Joe Biden, then the candidate is a symbol of the “new generation” in politics. With an emphasis on revitalizing an overly entrenched political class, he focuses on “restoring Americans’ trust in our government,” his campaign website explains.

Described as an idealist, Dean Phillips describes himself as a centrist Democrat. If he presents himself as a worthy successor to Joe Biden, the 55-year-old candidate will be criticized for his tendency to flirt with – or work with – Republicans. He was also recognized as the second most bipartisan member of Congress. His work with Republican elected officials, an important contribution to unifying an America that could no longer be divided, could be seen as a betrayal.

To distance himself from the current president, he does not hesitate to table an impeachment inquiry that stuns Joe Biden, not to mention the latter’s age, 81.

Marianne Williamson: second attempt

Personal development author Marianne Williamson has become known as the spiritual mentor of famous TV host Oprah Winfrey, the New York Times reports.

Now in politics, she advocates a more modern agenda than Joe Biden’s, calling for reparations for the descendants of slaves, the formation of a peace ministry, and even free child care, among other things. As for the current president, she criticizes a man who is “corrupt” and “resistant to change.”

Marianne Williamson has already tried her luck in 2020. Noting that she had only 0.3% of the vote, she withdrew from the race.

The septuagenarian’s past, however, casts a shadow over her candidacy. In 2019, excerpts from radio broadcasts recorded in 2012 emerged in which she urged audiences to “stay awake.” It concerns a discussion about vaccinations in which she expressed her “anxiety” about the idea of ​​vaccinating her children.

A FiveThirtyEight (Abc News) poll on January 31 named Joe Bide the winner of the primary based on voting intentions. He received 72.3% compared to 6.2% for Marianne Williamson and 4.4% for Dean Phillips. Democrats are playing the anti-Trump card in this election, putting protection of abortion rights and Social Security at the forefront of their demands.