The Note: Biden seeks South Carolina breakthrough that could reorder Democratic race

The TAKE with Rick Klein

Is there a pause button on a "revolution?"

What happens this weekend in the Democratic primary could have long-term ramifications for the presidential race and the identity of the party.

With South Carolina's primary on Saturday, the cleanest, immediate scenario for Democrats also happens to be what is to many, the scariest. A Bernie Sanders victory would leave the senator more likely than ever to amass the most delegates in the field.

But with former Vice President Joe Biden leading in the state's polls, based in part on his strong support among black voters, South Carolina offers what looks like the best shot to date for a breakthrough by a candidate other than Sanders. Sanders could lose, and he could lose big -- in what would be a setback for the front-runner, and for the movement he is leading.

The margin of victory could matter a whole lot, with Super Tuesday just three days later. That, of course, is dependent on how other candidates -- very much including Tom Steyer -- wind up faring in the final state likely to get intense individualized attention.

After this weekend, the race goes national. But what that means can't be known until February squeezes in one last day of voting.

The South Carolina primary

The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks

With only three days between the South Carolina primary and Super Tuesday, it is unlikely that candidates will feel pressured to drop out after Saturday's first-in-the-South contest.

Asked about the crowded primary, Biden -- who is favored to win in South Carolina -- told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce, that's up to everyone else to make their own choices.

"I'm not going to tell any other candidate what they should do. I know why I'm running. They know why they're running," Biden said.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she was ready to fight on, not only through the next few contests, but all the way to the convention.

Her guarantee had a familiar ring to it. It was similar to what Sanders promised four years ago: to let the process play out. Of course, the difference four years ago was that Hillary Clinton won a clear majority of pledged delegates and thus had clinched the nomination. Sanders, by letting the process play out at the convention, was not necessarily working to win the nomination, but make a point.

Warren argued this week that the nomination "shouldn't go to the person who had plurality." Meaning that she, and others, are contemplating a way to keep the race long and the final results unknown until late, if no one wins a majority outright.

The TIP with Kendall Karson

Some of the most engaged Democrats are anxious about the impact of on-stage party infighting at the primary debates ahead the much-awaited general election.

Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who watched any of either the Las Vegas debate last week or the Charleston, South Carolina, matchup earlier this week, one-third believe the nationally televised events put the party in a tougher position to defeat President Donald Trump come November, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.

Between the two groups, those less firm in their support for the party, the Democratic-leaning independents, were more concerned about the effect of the matchups than Democrats, with 39% saying the debates weakened the party's chances, compared to 29% of Democrats. Only 24% of Democratic-leaning independents believe the debates strengthened the chances for the eventual nominee to take on Trump.

But Democrats still have two more showdowns to go, with the next one slated for Sunday, March 15 in the crucial battleground state of Arizona, where the party will likely need to pull in new voters to turn the state blue. But whether the debates will actually be beneficial for the party will have to be answered in November.

ONE MORE THING

Inside the allegation that Bloomberg told a pregnant employee to "kill it" | The alleged incident would have a resounding and residual effect on both parties in very different ways. In the short term, Sekiko Sakai, formerly one of the top-performing saleswomen of Mike Bloomberg's namesake product, the Bloomberg Terminal, said it damaged her. She claimed in a lawsuit she filed that it was part of why she left the company -- sacrificing a lucrative paycheck and a job she said she loved -- and suffered serious psychological and physical health setbacks. Now nearly 25 years on, it is Bloomberg who is feeling the impact of the alleged remark as he makes a run for the White House.

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" Podcast. Friday morning's episode features ABC News Chief Medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News Chief Business and Economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis and ABC News' Anne Flaherty who discuss the latest in governmental preparations to combat COVID-19, and why the stock market is suffering because of it. Then, Galen Druke from our partners at FiveThirtyEight examines what's at stake for the major candidates in Saturday's South Carolina primary. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

ABC News' "Powerhouse Politics" Podcast. "There's no question" that Tom Steyer has siphoned off some of former Vice President Joe Biden's supporters, Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. told ABC News Political Director Rick Klein, and that's one of the reasons the lawmaker decided to endorse Biden before the primary. "I want people to know that it ain't over 'til it's over." https://apple.co/2RgxmLL

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEKEND

• President Donald Trump travels to South Carolina to speak at a campaign rally in North Charleston at 8:35 p.m.
• Vice President Mike Pence travels to West Palm Beach, Florida, to speak at the Club for Growth Annual Economic Conference at 12:45 p.m., then he participates in a Florida coronavirus response meeting with the governor at 3 p.m. He later speaks at the NRCC Florida Republican Delegation Dinner at 6:30 p.m. in Longboat Key, Florida.
• The Conservative Political Action Conference continues at 7:15 a.m. on Friday in National Harbor, Maryland. The president will speak at 3 p.m.
• Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a community event in Sumter, South Carolina, at 10 a.m. and a community event in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, he will hold a community event in Raleigh, North Carolina, at noon and an election night event at 6:30 p.m. in Columbia, South Carolina. On Sunday, he will attend a church service in Selma, Alabama, and hold a community even in Norfolk, Virginia, at 6:15 p.m.
• Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg holds a town hall in Charleston, South Carolina, at 9:45 a.m., a roundtable in Fairfax, South Carolina, at 1 p.m., a community conversation at 5 p.m. in Sumter, South Carolina, and a town hall at 7:30 p.m. in Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday. On Sunday, he will hold a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, at 8:45 a.m. and a town hall in Dallas at 6:30 p.m. (CST).
• Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., will hold a grassroots event in Falls Church, Virginia, at 11:15 a.m. on Friday.
• Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., holds a breakfast at 10:30 a.m. in St. George, South Carolina, a canvassing event in Aiken, South Carolina, at 1 p.m. and a rally in Columbia, South Carolina, at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, he will hold a rally in Boston at noon, a rally in Springfield, Virginia, at 4 p.m. and a rally in Virginia Beach, Virginia, at 8 p.m. On Sunday, he will hold a rally in San Jose, California, at 1:30 p.m. and a rally in Los Angeles at 3 p.m.
• Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, holds a town hall in Charleston, South Carolina, at 7 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, she will hold a town hall in San Francisco at 4 p.m. On Sunday, she will hold a town hall in Los Angeles at 2 p.m.
• Tom Steyer holds a meet-and-greet event in Sumter, South Carolina, at 8:30 a.m. and a rally in Columbia, South Carolina, at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, he will hold an election night party in Columbia, South Carolina, at 8:30 p.m.
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., holds a canvassing event at 12:45 p.m. in Greenville, South Carolina, and a canvassing event at 4:15 p.m. in Warrenville, South Carolina, on Friday. On Saturday, she will hold a canvassing event at 8:30 a.m. in Columbia, South Carolina, she will then hold a town hall in Little Rock, Arkansas, at 1 p.m. (CST) and a town hall in Houston a 5 p.m. (CST).
• Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg holds a campaign rally in Memphis, Tennessee, at 9 a.m., a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, at 1:30 p.m. and a rally in Blountville, Tennessee, at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, he will hold an event in Northern Virginia at 8 a.m., an event in Wilmington, North Carolina, at 12:30 p.m. and an event in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 5:15 p.m.
• The North Carolina Democratic Party will host a celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 7 p.m. on Saturday featuring DNC Chair Tom Perez, Klobuchar and Bloomberg.
• Sunday on ABC's "This Week": George Stephanopoulos interviews former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders the day after the South Carolina primary and ahead of Super Tuesday. Plus, the Powerhouse Roundtable discusses the week in politics, with former New Jersey Governor and ABC News Contributor Chris Christie, ABC News Political Analyst Matthew Dowd, Former North Dakota Senator and ABC News Contributor Heidi Heitkamp and Democracy for America CEO and ABC News Contributor Yvette Simpson.

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The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the day's top stories in politics. Please check back Monday for the latest.

This report was featured in the Feb. 28 episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.

"Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.