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Clinton goes 3 for 4 in comeback

Email|Link|Comments (36) Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor March 5, 2008 01:28 AM

By Scott Helman and Susan Milligan, Globe Staff

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Senator Hillary Clinton breathed new life into her presidential bid last night with key victories in the Ohio and Texas primaries, ending Barack Obama's month-long run of momentum and adding yet another twist to the historic contest for the Democratic nomination.

Clinton, who also won in Rhode Island, brought her campaign back from the brink: She had not won a contest since Super Tuesday, and was facing increasing pressure to consider dropping out of the race. Last night she told relieved supporters in Columbus, Ohio, that the victories proved that voters wanted the contest to go on.

"The people of Ohio have said it loudly and clearly," she said. "We're going on, we're going strong, and we're going all the way."

Her backers chanted jubilantly, "Yes she will!"

"For everyone across the country and in Ohio who has been counted out, but refused to be knocked out, for everyone who stumbled but who stood right back up, for everyone who works hard and never gives up, this one's for you," Clinton said.

In Ohio, Clinton led 55 percent to 43 percent with nearly 90 percent of precincts reporting by early this morning. In Texas, she led 51 percent to 47 percent with more than three-fourths of precincts reporting.

The Texas primary was only one part of the vote there yesterday. Two-thirds of the state's delegates will be awarded based on the outcome of that vote, but the other third will be allocated based on the results of caucuses that Texas Democrats held after the polls closed last night. Those results were still be tallied early this morning.

Obama, meanwhile, picked up another win, handily beating Clinton in yesterday’s Vermont primary.

Clinton's triumphs alter the dynamics of a race after Obama had won 11 straight contests. But it was not immediately apparent what her victory will mean for deciding an eventual nominee.

Her campaign a couple weeks ago predicted it would be ahead in the delegate race by this morning, a goal it has not come close to reaching. What seemed evident last night, given the close contests and the way Democrats allocate delegates proportionally was that the results would not significantly change Obama's current overall delegate lead of more than 100.

"No matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we did this morning," Obama told supporters in San Antonio last night. "And we are on our way to winning this nomination."

Amid the uncertainty in the Democratic race, the Republicans yesterday finally removed any doubt about who their nominee will be: Senator John McCain of Arizona, a 71-year-old war hero and long-time Washington fixture, officially sealed the GOP nomination by handily beating former governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas in all four states.

Obama, who has often been mocked by both Clinton and McCain as a politician capable only of giving nice speeches, used his Texas address last night to push back.

"John McCain and Hillary Clinton have echoed each other, dismissing this call for change as eloquent but empty, speeches not solutions," Obama said. "And yet they know, or they should know, that it's a call that did not begin with my words."

It is the voters -- those without healthcare, those struggling in the economy, and those facing foreclosure on their homes -- who are the ones asserting that they want to write a "new chapter in the American story," he said.

"You can call it many things, but you can't call it empty," Obama said.

Obama and Clinton entered yesterday’s contests with distinctly different objectives. Obama was looking for a knockout punch, hoping a win in Ohio or Texas might force Clinton to pull out of the race. Clinton, who for weeks has counted on the two states to put her back into contention, was looking for a comeback in a fierce nomination battle that has already raged through 40 states, awarded more than 2,600 delegates, and gone through two full months of voting.

Now, the race moves to Wyoming, which holds caucuses Saturday, and Mississippi, which holds a primary Tuesday. The Clinton campaign is already downplaying its prospects in the two states, and instead pointing toward Pennsylvania, which holds a primary April 22 and is the biggest state still to vote.

A total of 611 pledged delegates — those won from caucuses or primaries — are still to be divvied up before the national convention in late August. By any measure, Clinton needs to win the remaining contests by dauntingly large margins to catch Obama in the race for pledged delegates, which his campaign argues should determine the nominee.

Obama is also closing the gap with Clinton among superdelegates, the 796 elected officials, party leaders, and others who could hold the balance of power because neither is expected to reach the 2,025 needed without them.

36 comments so far...

The very fact that Clinton is able to stay in the race despite 11 straight losses, amidst all the negative publicity and pressure to drop out, speaks volume of a woman of tenacity and fortitude. I respect her "never-say-die" attitude - and this is the kind of leader the US needs.

And for Obama, I wonder how he'll perform under similar circumstances? If you're winning, everything is well. But can you remain steadfast when things go wrong? And now that the US is not doing well economically and lost a lot of prestige and ground to other rising powers, can he stand up to the job of commander-in-chief? I have my doubts.

Posted by Vincent Loke March 5, 08 02:13 AM

Clinton goes 3 for 4 in comeback

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