Obama sees finishing line
Barack Obama was within striking distance of the Democratic presidential nomination today.
A decisive win in North Carolina and a near miss in Indiana battered Hillary Clinton’s fading candidacy, increasing pressure on superdelegates to decide the fierce and historic White House battle.
The two Democrats’ prolonged contest appeared to be nearing its climax, with Mr Obama now less than 200 delegates short of clinching the nomination after winning North Carolina on Tuesday night and confounding Mrs Clinton’s efforts to carry Indiana by a wide margin.
The split decision cost her the last, best chance she had of of winning the nomination, but Mrs Clinton jumped back into the race yesterday, with her sights set on West Virginia next week, followed by Kentucky and Oregon.
Clinton backers appeared on early morning television programs to stress that she was still in the race and to urge superdelegates not to flee to Mr Obama. She also issued a plea to supporters for more funds – a call that was followed yesterday by an announcement that she had again loaned herself money, this time €4m in the past month.
Her lacklustre showing on Tuesday could further damage her chances of raising more money, and the loan further reflected the financial problems she is facing in contrast to Mr Obama and his fundraising prowess. Mrs Clinton had lent herself €3.2m in January.
An invigorated Mr Obama took the day off after declaring Tuesday’s strong showing afforded him a “clear path to the White House.” His campaign dropped broad hints it was time for the 270 remaining unaligned superdelegates – party officials who are free to vote as they chose – to take sides and settle the race.
It was among the superdelegates – even more than in the six remaining primaries - that the Democratic drama was bound to play out. The outcome of Tuesday’s votes could compel still-undecided superdelegates to make their choices soon because the protracted battle has increasingly polarised Democratic voters and raised worries of disunity ahead of November’s general election against Republican nominee John McCain.
With only 217 delegates at stake in the remaining contests, it is essentially mathematically impossible for either candidate to secure the necessary number of elected delegates – making superdelegate support the lynchpin to winning the nomination.
The protracted and often bitter nature of the race has hardened divisions in the party. A solid majority of each candidate’s supporters said they would not be satisfied if the other wins the nomination.
The weak US economy has dominated the campaign. The candidates sparred in recent days over Mrs Clinton’s call, amid surging petrol prices, for a temporary suspension of the federal fuel tax this summer. Mrs Clinton said it would help drivers; Mr Obama ridiculed the proposal as a political stunt that would cost jobs.
The remainder of the primary schedule includes West Virginia, with 28 delegates on May 13; Oregon with 52 and Kentucky with 51 a week later; Puerto Rico with 55 delegates on June 1, and Montana with 16 and South Dakota with 15 on June 3.
