Hillary Clinton (top) and Barack Obama (below) seemed to be happy with their primary results.
By staff writers and wires
February 13, 2008
Barack Obama wins Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland
John McCain scrapes home in Republican contests
BARACK Obama has decisively won three more Democratic nominating contests, extending his winning streak over rival Hillary Clinton and building momentum in a hard-fought US presidential election race.
Frontrunner senator John McCain won all three presidential nominating races on the Republican side.
US media projections have senator Obama securing comfortable wins in Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland, where voting had been extended because of severe weather conditions. The wins take his winning streak to seven states, after four straight wins over the weekend.
"We won the state of Maryland. We won the Commonwealth of Virginia. And though we won in Washington DC, this movement won't stop until there's change in Washington DC," senator Obama said at a rally in Wisconsin in a speech in which he barely mentioned senator Clinton's name.
"This is what change looks like when it happens from the bottom up. This is the new American majority."
In an ominous sign for the Clinton campaign, exit polls showed the 46-year-old Illinois senator surging ahead in the former first lady's normal bastion of women, and splitting another of her key powerbases - white voters.
Clinton goes on
A defiant senator Clinton showed no sign of giving up the fight.
"We're going to sweep across Texas in the next three weeks, bringing our message about what we need in America, the kind of president that will be required on Day One to be commander in chief to turn the economy around," she said after flying south even before Washington DC area voting had closed.
"I'm tested. I'm ready. Let's make it happen!"
However there was another setback for the Clinton camp as votes were being counted, when the former frontrunner's deputy campaign manager resigned.
Senator Clinton replaced her campaign manager yesterday after losing the weekend races to senator Obama. Her deputy said he was leaving to allow the new manager to assemble her own staff.
Senator Clinton is now desperate to win delegate-rich contests in Ohio and Texas on March 4 to reignite her faltering White House quest.
Delegate count
Voters in the so-called Potomac Primary, for the river that passes through all three of Wednesday's jurisdictions, reveled in their newfound importance in the presidential race after nominating contests across more than half the country left the two senators in a dead heat. Senator Obama now lead senator Clinton 1186 to 1181 in the running delegate count supplied by the Associated Press. A total of 2025 delegates are needed for the nomination. The role of some 440 still-undecided super-delegates - party luminaries who can choose to vote for either candidate - is now likely to be critical.
Virginia had been seen as senator Clinton's best shot of halting senator Obama's winning streak. Washington DC has a high proportion of African-American voters - a group that strongly favours senator Obama.
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll has found senator Obama would have a slight edge over senator McCain in a one-on-one general election match-up, while senator Clinton ran about even.
Next round
Senator Obama seemed to have one eye on the post-primary campaign when he spent more time talking about senator McCain than senator Clinton in his victory speech.
"John McCain is an American hero. We honour his service to our nation," he said.
"(But) his priorities don't address the real problems of the American people, because they are bound to the failed policies of the past."
Senator McCain, too, seemed to preview a contest with senator Obama when he addressed his supporters.
"Hope, my friends, is a powerful thing. I can attest to that better than many, for I have seen men's hopes tested in hard and cruel ways that few will ever experience," said the former Vietnam war prisoner.
"I do not seek the presidency on the presumption that I am blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save my country in its hour of need.
"I seek the presidency with the humility of a man who cannot forget that my country saved me."
No comments:
Post a Comment