Warren Reassesses Path Forward: Campaign Update

(Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is assessing the future of her candidacy, her campaign manager said Wednesday, after a dismal performance on Super Tuesday stripped her of any path to the nomination.

“Last night, we fell short of viability goals and projections and we are disappointed in the results,” Roger Lau said in an all-staff email Wednesday, according to a copy obtained by Bloomberg News.

Warren was unable to do better than third place in any of the 14 states that held primaries on Super Tuesday, including in her home state of Massachusetts. As final Super Tuesday results were coming in, she had garnered just 41 delegates, compared with 357 for Joe Biden and 306 for Bernie Sanders. Warren had earlier failed to break through in any of the first four primaries.

Warren is going to take the next few days “to think through the right way to continue this fight,” Lau said. “This decision is her in hands, and it's important that she has the time and space to consider what comes next.”

Warren has not indicated who she would endorse if she drops out. She shares a policy vision -- including support for Medicare for All -- with her progressive rival Sanders. But she could back Biden in the name of party unity, as she has criticized Sanders for being too divisive. Sanders said at a news conference in Burlington, Vermont, that he spoke to Warren on the phone. He said she had not made any decisions and should be given “the time and the space” to do so.

Clyburn Says It's Time to Let Biden Be Biden (8:36 a.m.)

Jim Clyburn wants to let Biden be Biden.

The influential South Carolina representative, whose endorsement propelled Joe Biden to a commanding win, said that he thinks the former vice president was “a little too robotic” in the beginning of his campaign.

In an interview on CNN, Clyburn said that he thinks criticism of Biden's habit of touching people caused him to hold back, which cramped his campaigning style.

“He is a guy who is very affectionate,” he said.

Going forward, Clyburn said he wants to see Biden “loosen up” and “look into the cameras” so that voters can feel like he knows them.

“I want to see him do exactly what he did the night of the victory in South Carolina,” he said.

Anti-Dairy Protester Gets the Boot (5:41 a.m.)

Biden and Sanders both showed strength Tuesday night, but not the two you're thinking of.

When protesters charged the stage at a Joe Biden event in Los Angeles, his wife Jill Biden and spokeswoman Symone Sanders fought them off.

The anti-dairy protesters, who have been at other events this primary, were holding signs that said “let dairy die.”

Jill Biden blocked one with her body, while Sanders jumped on stage and dragged another away.

Biden does not yet have Secret Service protection. The protection is offered to leading candidates based on risk. They usually have by the summer.

Coming Up

Six states hold primaries March 10.

Democratic candidates debate again in Phoenix on March 15.

(Disclaimer: Michael Bloomberg is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)

--With assistance from Elizabeth Wasserman.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ryan Teague Beckwith in Washington, D.C. at rbeckwith3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Magan Crane, Max Berley

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