I’ve got a million things to do, and I contemplated skipping the primary blog post and just waiting till Super Tuesday next week - but this is South Carolina! How can you skip South Carolina?! So - quickly - here’s the outlook as I see it, bearing in mind that I am as influenced by polling data and punditry as anybody.
SANDERS: 4 of Pentacles. The 4 of Pentacles is a king, and solar, and a banker. So this looks pretty good for Sanders, although I don’t know if he can overcome Biden’s strong backing in South Carolina. I think a runner-up finish is within reach, although there is the question of whether it will be a Nevada-style blowout or an Iowa-style squeaker.
WARREN: 2 of Pentacles. This could be the low point for Warren, though with Super Tuesday in the mix, things could turn around pretty rapidly. The 2 of Pentacles represents the winter solstice and a change in the wind, but it’s also smaller than the 4 and the King, which are also both present here.
BIDEN: King of Pentacles - reversed. Well, it’s Biden’s big moment! particularly since the Clyburn endorsement. I see him winning here, as he has said he would. However, as I have learned in the past, you can’t ignore the reversal. I question whether it will be too little, too late. Money is an issue. Will the win be enough to reverse his fortunes as far as funding is concerned?
BUTTIGIEG: 10 of Wands. I don’t think this bodes well for Buttigieg, despite the real efforts he has made on outreach and turnout. It’s literally a “heavy lift”.. As a 10, I wonder if in retrospect it will prove to have been the end of the road, although we will not be able to say till Tuesday night. Interestingly, the 10 of Wands and 2 of Pentacles (Warren’s draw) are decanic neighbors. I wonder if Buttigieg and Warren will place next to each other in the final standings, with Warren ahead.
STEYER: Knight of Wands, reversed. Every spread has to have a wild card! and Steyer is this one’s. I had to include him this time because he’s staked everything on South Carolina, and I think it will pay off to some degree. However, SC voters are like all of us - electability is everything. I think this will be his best showing, maybe 3rd. But that doesn’t mean he’ll make it past Tuesday - again, reversal.
KLOBUCHAR: 3 of Cups. If I weren’t a high-information voter, I might think this was a better sign than, say, her BFF Buttigieg’s 10 of Wands. However, I see no reason to think that she’ll perform at all in the state. Maybe the card shows her schmoozing all over the Super Tuesday map, which from what I understand is exactly what she’s doing right now rather than awaiting the inevitable in SC.
NB: I didn’t include Bloomberg this time, but I will on Tuesday.
My final guess at the outcome?
Biden
Sanders (unless Steyer!)
Warren (unless Steyer!)
Buttigieg (unless Steyer!)
Klobuchar
As you can see, I don’t quite know what to do about Steyer, but it’s gonna be 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. I tend to think 3rd is most likely.
For reference, here are the other spreads. You can click on the Nevada and Iowa ones for their corresponding posts, but I didn’t do one for New Hampshire.
