Obama's overall lead widens while Clinton wins Indiana

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Dear friends,

 

Obama widened his overall delegate count lead over Hilary Clinton yesterday by winning the primary in North Carolina 56% to 42%. Nevertheless, Clinton managed to win Indiana 51% to 49%. Obama is now 188 delegates short of clinching the 2025 total delegates needed, while Clinton needs 344 more delegates. Clearly, the odds favour an Obama win, but let us not forget that unexpected things can happen, especially in view of the prediction made by that Clinton will win based on the seveal charts circulating for the candidates. Also, one weakness of Obama is that he is not doing as well as he should with regard to working class white voters. This is a weakness in his national candidacy that Clinton seeks to exploit. The attention now shifts to the primary in West Virginia next week.

 

Best wishes,

 

Thor

 

 

 

 

 

 

Election Results

Indiana County results map

 

 

Democrats

Vote % IN Del Total Del*

 

Clinton

51% 37 1,681

 

Obama

49% 33 1,836

 

99% of precincts

 

 

North Carolina County results map

 

 

Democrats

Vote % NC Del Total Del*

 

Obama

56% 58 1,836

 

Clinton

42% 42 1,681

 

99% of precincts

 

 

 

Obama ascendant after trading primary wins with Clinton

 

 

 

By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer 13 minutes ago

 

WASHINGTON - On the rebound, Barack Obama left Hillary Rodham Clinton with fast-dwindling chances to deny him the Democratic presidential nomination after beating her in North Carolina and falling just short in an Indiana cliffhanger.

Obama was on track to climb within 200 delegates of attaining the prize, his campaign finally steadying after missteps fiercely exploited by the never-say-die Clinton.

His campaign dropped broad hints it was time for the 270 remaining unaligned party figures known as superdelegates to get off the fence and settle the nomination.

It was in that arena — even more than in the scattered primaries left — that the Democratic hyperdrama was bound to play out.

"You know, there are those who were saying that North Carolina would be a game-changer in this election," Obama told a roaring crowd in Raleigh, N.C., on Tuesday night, referring to Clinton's hope that an upset there would recast the race in her favor.

"But today what North Carolina decided is that the only game that needs changing is the one in Washington, D.C."

Clinton vowed to compete tenaciously for West Virginia next week and Kentucky and Oregon after that, and to press "full speed on to the White House."

But she risked running on fumes without an infusion of cash, and made a direct fundraising pitch from the stage in Indianapolis. "I need your help to continue our journey," she said.

And she pledged anew that she would support the Democratic nominee "no matter what happens," a vow also made by her competitor.

Polarizing, protracted and often bitter, the contest is hardening divisions in the party, according to exit polls from the two states.

A solid majority of each candidate's supporters said they would not be satisfied if the other candidate wins the nomination.

Fully one-third of Clinton's supporters in Indiana and North Carolina went beyond mere dissatisfaction to say they would vote for Republican John McCain instead of Obama if that's the choice in the fall.

Obama scored a convincing victory of about 14 points in North Carolina, where he'd been favored. Clinton squeezed out a narrow margin in Indiana after a long night of counting.

Racial divisions were stark.

In both states, Clinton won six in 10 white votes while Obama got nine in 10 black votes, exit polls indicated.

It was a slightly better performance than usual by Clinton among whites, while Obama's backing from blacks was one of his highest winning percentages yet with that group.

Against the backdrop of disunity, pressure is certain to intensify on the superdelegates to declare themselves and lasso Democrats together for the fall campaign against McCain. They are not bound by results in primaries or caucuses.

"There is an eagerness in the party to get this done and move on," said David Axelrod, chief Obama strategist. "There is no question that we can see the finish line." David Lutz, 53, of Trinity, N.C., who lives on his Army pension and flea market sales, paid tribute to Obama's resilience in explaining why he switched from supporting Clinton in the final days. "I finally got swayed Obama's way," he said. "He's like a magician — he pulled a lot of good tricks out of his hat." A look at the night's numbers: _Obama won at least 69 delegates and Clinton at least 63 in the two states combined, with 55 still to be divided between the two candidates. _Obama's delegate total reached 1815.5 to 1,672 for Clinton in The Associated Press count, out of 2,025 needed to win the nomination. _Obama won North Carolina 56-42, with returns from 99 percent of precincts. _Clinton won Indiana 51-49, with returns from 99 percent of precincts. And the races still ahead: _28 delegates at stake in West Virginia in a week. _103 delegates up for grabs a week later in Kentucky and Oregon. _55 in Puerto Rico on June 1. _31 in Montana and South Dakota on June 3. On Tuesday, Clinton fell short of the Indiana blowout and the North Carolina upset that might have jarred superdelegates into her camp in a big way. They have continued trickling toward Obama despite the fallout over his former pastor's racially divisive remarks and Clinton's win in Pennsylvania two weeks ago. Obama sounded increasingly focused on the fall campaign. "This primary season may not be over, but when it is, we will have to remember who we are as Democrats ... because we all agree that at this defining moment in history — a moment when we're facing two wars, an economy in turmoil, a planet in peril — we can't afford to give John McCain the chance to serve out George Bush's third term," he said. Clinton was joined at her rally by her husband Bill, his face sunburned after campaigning in small-town North Carolina, and their daughter, Chelsea. The New York senator stressed the issue that came to dominate the final days of the primaries in both states, her call for a summertime suspension of the federal gasoline tax. "I think it's time to give Americans a break this summer," she said. Obama opposes the tax suspension, calling it a gimmick. The impact of a long-running controversy over the Illinois senator's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, was difficult to measure. In North Carolina, six in 10 voters who said Wright's remarks affected their votes sided with Clinton. A somewhat larger percentage of voters who said the pastor's remarks did not matter supported Obama. Obama and Clinton both planned to campaign in the next primary states starting Thursday, after a day in Washington. Obama headed to Chicago after his Raleigh speech before coming to the capital. ___ Associated Press writers Tom Raum in Raleigh, N.C., and Liz Sidoti in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

 

updated 1 hour, 37 minutes ago

 

Clinton narrowly takes Indiana, CNN projects

 

 

Story Highlights NEW: Clinton squeaks out win in Indiana; Obama wins in North Carolina

Obama says he does not believe his party is "inalterably divided"

Clinton turns attention to upcoming contests

187 delegates were at stake in Tuesday's primaries

(CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton will narrowly win in Indiana, CNN projects, edging out Sen. Barack Obama by a 2-percent margin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As polls closed in Indiana, Clinton had a double-digit lead over Obama, but by the end of the evening, Clinton's lead had shrunk, forcing the race to be dragged out until early Wednesday.

The focus of the contest shifted to Lake County, home to 8 percent of Indiana's population.

The first results from the county were heavily weighted in Obama's favor, making it seem possible Obama could close the gap, but at the end of the night, Clinton squeaked out a win.

There were 115 delegates at stake in North Carolina and 72 in Indiana.

Because Democratic delegates are awarded proportionally, Obama added four delegates to his lead, according to CNN estimates.

Obama earlier claimed a decisive victory in North Carolina.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Obama held a 14-point lead over Clinton.

"Some were saying that North Carolina would be a game-changer in this election. But today, what North Carolina decided is that the only game that needs changing is the one in Washington," Obama told supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Obama took an overwhelming 91 percent of the black vote in North Carolina, according to exit polls, while Clinton claimed only 6 percent.

Clinton took 59 percent of the white vote compared to 36 percent for Obama, according to the polls.

Clinton told her supporters in Indianapolis, "it's full-speed on to the White House." The senator from New York turned her attention to the upcoming contests in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon.

 

Poll workers in Indiana and North Carolina reported heavy turnout in the two primaries.

Turnout in the North Carolina Democratic primary was expected to reach 50 percent, according to Gary Bartlett, executive director for the North Carolina Board of Elections.

That figure would far exceed the 15 percent to 30 percent that usually turn out for a primary, he said.

The Indiana secretary of state's office said turnout was high throughout the day.

Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita said turnout looked more like a general election than a primary.

A judge ordered some polling stations in Indiana to stay open past closing time because the lines were so long.

Polling officials in Indianapolis said they had set a record for voter turnout after being open for only six hours.

According to early exit polls, half of Clinton's supporters in Indiana would not vote for Obama in a general election matchup with Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Watch what the exit polls show »

A third of Clinton voters said they would pick McCain over Obama, while 17 percent said they would not vote at all. Forty-eight percent of Clinton supporters said they would back Obama in November.

Obama got even less support from Clinton backers in North Carolina where 45 percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for him over McCain. Thirty-eight percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for McCain while 12 percent said they would not vote.

Obama voters appear to be more willing to support Clinton in November. In Indiana, 59 percent of Obama backers said they'd vote for Clinton, and 70 percent of Obama backers in North Carolina said vote for her against McCain.

Obama on Tuesday said he didn't agree with those who said his party would not be able to unite.

"Tonight, many of the pundits have suggested that this party is inalterably divided -- that Sen. Clinton's supporters will not support me, and that my supporters will not support her," he said.

"I'm here tonight to tell you that I don't believe it. Yes, there have been bruised feelings on both sides. Yes, each side desperately wants their candidate to win. But ultimately, this race is not about Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or John McCain.

"This election is about you -- the American people -- and whether we will have a president and a party that can lead us toward a brighter future."

Voters from both states were spilt over the controversy surrounding Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, early exit polls suggest.

In Indiana, 49 percent of voters in the Democratic primary said the issue was not important, compared to 48 percent who said it was an important factor in their vote.

In North Carolina 50 percent of voters said the Wright controversy was important, and 48 percent said it was not.

In both states, those who said it was an important issue largely broke for Clinton, and those who said it was not backed Obama.

Obama currently leads in pledged delegates and in states won, and he is ahead in the popular vote, if Florida and Michigan are not factored into the equation. Those states are being penalized for moving their primaries up in violation of party rules.

 

 

With neither candidate expected to win the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination by June 3, the end of the primary season, the final decision will most likely fall to the 796 superdelegates: Democratic governors, members of Congress and party officials.

Both candidates have spent the past two weeks shuttling between Indiana and North Carolina, each arguing to crucial working-class voters that their rival is out of touch when it comes to the pocketbook issues that are dominating the campaign.

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