Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amid Coronavirus Upheaval, Biden Sweeps Tuesday's Elections; Switching To Vote-By-Mail Not As Easy As It Sounds
The Wall Street Journal: Biden Sweeps Tuesday’s Primaries As Voters Confront Coronavirus Fears
Joe Biden won all three primaries held Tuesday on a day filled with anxious voting, building a lead in the Democratic presidential nomination race that appears increasingly difficult for Bernie Sanders to overcome. The two-man race lurched forward against major disruptions triggered by the coronavirus pandemic as the first balloting was held—in Florida, Illinois and Arizona—since the crisis engulfed the nation. (McCormick and Thomas, 3/17)
The Washington Post: Joe Biden Romps Over Bernie Sanders In Florida, Illinois And Arizona In Tuesday Balloting
Biden’s speech to the nation provided a striking coda to a complicated primary day. As he moved ever closer to becoming the Democratic nominee, he stood alone in front of a camera without a cheering crowd — symbolizing the example Americans have been asked to follow by isolating themselves from others in the midst of the novel-coronavirus outbreak. “Tackling this pandemic is a national emergency that is akin to fighting a war,” Biden said. “This is the moment for each of us to see and believe the best in every one of us.” (Scherer, Linskey and Sullivan, 3/17)
The Washington Post: Biden Is In Control Of The Campaign, But Politics Is Entering The Vast Unknown Of The Coronavirus
The Democratic presidential race passed a point of no return Tuesday, with former vice president Joe Biden firmly in control of his party’s nomination over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). But politics more broadly entered into the unknown as the spreading coronavirus continued to radically disrupt the political life of the country. This combination of certainty and uncertainty was highlighted on a day when three states — Arizona, Florida and Illinois — held primaries and another — Ohio — that was scheduled to do so abruptly shut down its polling places for reasons of health safety. (Balz, 3/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Cautious Voters Venture Out To Cast Ballots In Three States
For many voters going to the polls Tuesday in three states, the trip was their first time out of their homes since they started practicing social distancing to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Some were successful in casting their ballots—with hand sanitizer at the ready, while others had trouble even locating an operating polling site. (Parti and Campo-Folres, 3/17)
Reuters: Democrats Give Biden The Edge Over Sanders In A Crisis: Edison Research Polls
Despite escalating concerns about the coronavirus outbreak that has shut down large public gatherings across the country, Edison Research estimated Democratic turnout in Florida at 1.85 million - more than the 1.7 million who voted in 2016 and 1.75 million in 2008. (Whitesides and Gibson, 3/17)
The Associated Press: Politics In Time Of Coronavirus: Arizona Quietly Picks Biden
The candidates canceled their rallies and stopped door-to-door outreach to voters. Then the debate that was supposed to highlight Arizona’s emergence as a national battleground was moved from a concert venue in Phoenix to an empty television studio in the nation’s capital. Arizona’s moment in the presidential political spotlight disappeared as the nation mobilized to confront the coronavirus outbreak, leaving an anticlimactic election that didn’t feel much like an election. (Cooper, 3/18)
The Associated Press: 3 States Vote, But Coronavirus Disruptions Could Last Weeks
Ohio called off its state’s primary just hours before polls were set to open as the federal government urged Americans not to gather in groups of 10 or more and asked older people to stay home entirely. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez blasted Ohio’s unprecedented move for breeding “more chaos and confusion.” He sought to head off more states from taking similar actions, urging those with upcoming primaries to expand vote-by-mail and absentee balloting, as well as polling station hours, so that efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus don’t further derail his party’s contest for the right to face President Donald Trump in November. (Jaffe and Weissert, 3/17)
The Associated Press: Switching Remaining Primaries To Vote-By-Mail Not So Easy
Voting rights groups and the head of the Democratic National Committee want the states with remaining primary elections to offer voting by mail as a way to ensure that voters can safely cast their ballots amid the coronavirus outbreak. A quick and easy fix? Not always. (Mulvihill, 3/18)
Politico: Why Vote-By-Mail May Not Save Our Elections From The Virus’ Disruption
Already, the pandemic has forced Louisiana, Georgia, Maryland, Kentucky and Ohio to postpone their presidential primaries until later in the spring, while reportedly contributing to lower than average turnout in Tuesday’s primaries in Illinois and Florida. It has also inspired some lawmakers and activists to call for much broader use of mail-in voting, a way for Americans to cast their ballots despite the lockdowns, quarantines and limitations on crowds taking hold across the country. (Zetter, 3/17)
Politico: Welcome To The Zombie Coronavirus Campaign Of 2020
It’s the zombie primary now. For all practical purposes, the Democratic nominating contest was over after Joe Biden won Michigan and Washington last week, then stretched his delegate lead by sweeping Florida, Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday night. Bernie Sanders has almost no chance of catching him.Yet because of the coronavirus, the presidential campaign is suspended in time. Rallies are off. Campaign workers, like many other people, are sheltering in place. On Tuesday, Maryland became the fifth state to postpone its election, and more states are expected to follow.The postponements have left an unexpected opening for Sanders to soldier on, even as his prospects fade. The pandemic, which first sapped the primary of life, is now extending it. (Siders, 3/18)
