ABC calls it for Clinton, winning the popular vote 51%-48% and a narrow lead in delegates so far.
Combined with her wins in Ohio and Rhode Island last night, Hillary has done what she needed to do to stay alive in the race for the Democratic nomination. Obama is almost certain to arrive at the convention in August with more pledged delegates won in primaries, but not enough to clinch the nomination. Either candidate will need hundreds of super delegates to win.
Contrary to the spin from Obama supporters, the super delegates were NOT added to the mix to "reflect their state's vote" in any way. In fact, their job is just the opposite: to keep the primaries from being the sole determinate of the nominee by keeping the influence of elected officials and party leaders.
The next major contest is Pennsylvania, six weeks away. A Clinton win there would give her strong momentum heading into the convention, and it is the state with the oldest electorate of all. Older voters have been, with women, Hillary's strongest demographic in this race.
In the meantime, Obama is going to be chased by the media until he answers all the questions about Rezko and the Canada/NAFTA flap. His long honeymoon with the press is over, thanks to a Saturday Night Live skit which embarrassed reporters over their soft coverage of the Obama campaign.
Now it gets interesting . . .



Comments (5)
Obama actually will win mo... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Steve Crickmore | March 5, 2008 8:16 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Obama actually will win more delegates overall, in Texas than Clinton because of his strength in the caucus. He has another in Wyoming this weekend and next Tuesday a primary in Mississippi, two contests which he must feel pretty certain to rout Clinton, and end her little boomlet with a bigger delegate increase than she received from her victories last night. Plus, a large group of superdelegates are about to endorse for Obama, and add their influence, no doubt pretty disgusted by Hillary's tactics. All in all, it should prove a good first part of the month for Obama.
Yes, she's still alive but Hillary is looking more and more like Rasputin, the mad Russian monk. She's just so very difficult to finish off completely. From Grigori Rasputin..Wikipedia
1. Posted by Steve Crickmore | March 5, 2008 8:16 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2008 08:16
2. Posted by Lee Ward
| March 5, 2008 8:51 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Thank you for the balanced reporting, Jim.
2. Posted by Lee Ward
| March 5, 2008 8:51 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2008 08:51
3. Posted by Howard Dean | March 5, 2008 8:52 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
There seem to be people who still believe that the nomination will be decided by columns on a spreadsheet, by the number of pledged delegates and other such nonsense.
With less than a hundred delegates dividing Obama and Clinton, and with no one getting the majority, there is no way Hillary is going to let up on Michigan and Florida. Get ready for the lawsuits to start flying. Plus, the SDs are going to wait and watch who has the best chance against McCain in November. Lots of things will happen between now and Denver, and that will dictate who is selected the nominee.
And that is when the Democratic internal bloodbath gets really interesting.
3. Posted by Howard Dean | March 5, 2008 8:52 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2008 08:52
4. Posted by Larkin
| March 5, 2008 10:29 AM | Score: -3 (3 votes cast)
It will be a hollow victory in Texas indeed if Obama gains more delegates in the end. After all, this race is about delegates not the popular vote.
Those who think it isn't about delegates are mostly right-wingers who are praying for Hillary to win because they know she is the weaker candidate.
4. Posted by Larkin
| March 5, 2008 10:29 AM |
Score: -3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2008 10:29
5. Posted by Lee Ward
| March 5, 2008 11:44 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"It will be a hollow victory in Texas indeed if Obama gains more delegates in the end. After all, this race is about delegates not the popular vote."
Get real - the superdelegates hold the keys to the nomination, and the pledged delegates will not decide the nominee.
5. Posted by Lee Ward
| March 5, 2008 11:44 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 5, 2008 11:44