Clinton Wins Big in PA, Does it Matter? April 23, 2008
Posted by Reginald Johnson in Uncategorized.add a comment
New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton made some big strides Tuesday night with her win in the Pennsylvania primary. Obama had a better financed machine, but many believe that Hillary won due to her husband’s presidential record. The population is Pennslayvania is a little older and more tradional than other democratic states.
The former first lady won 55 percent of the vote; 45 percent went to Obama. Political pundits said earlier last week that Clinton needed to win by 10 points or better. She may not have had a chance to overtake Obama in the delegate votes, but she could look at this a momentum getter.
“A win for Hillary in Pennslyvania translates into more money donated to her nearly broke campaign,” said a GOP statagists.
It is believed that Senator Clinton maneuvered her victory by winning the votes of blue-collar workers, women and white men in an election where the economy was the dominant concern. Senator Obama was favoured by blacks, the affluent and voters who recently switched to the Democratic Party. These numbers were comprised by The Associated Press and the TV networks.
She showed her blue collar bona fides one night by knocking down a shot of whiskey, then taking a mug of beer as a chaser. Obama went bowling in his attempt to win over working-class voters.
The win gave Clinton a strong record in the big states as she attempts to persuade convention superdelegates to look past Obama’s delegate advantage and his lead in the popular vote in picking a nominee. She had previously won primaries in Texas, California, Ohio and her home state of New York, while Obama won his home state of Illinois.
Clinton projected confidence to the end of the Pennsylvania campaign, scheduling an election-night rally in Philadelphia. Obama signaled in advance he expected to lose, flying off to Indiana for an evening appearance even before the polls closed.
Flush with cash, Obama reported spending $11.2 million on television in the state, more than any place else. That compared with $4.8 million for Clinton.
The remaining Democratic contests are primaries in North Carolina, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia, Montana, South Dakota and Puerto Rico, and caucuses in Guam.
