The Aftermath
Despite the growing odds, Clinton remains resolute.
Decision Tuesday: Indiana
So what now? Judging from the final tallies that came in from Indiana and North Carolina, Tuesday night was not the come-from-behind, make-or-break, winner-takes-all landslide that Hillary Clinton and her campaign surely would have liked. Late in the evening, after the bulk of results had come in, NBC's political kingmaker Tim Russert called the race for Barack Obama. "It's now clear who the Democratic nominee's going to be," he said of the Illinois senator, who came out the evening's winner with 98 new delegates, compared to Clinton's 85. "Those closest to [Clinton] will now give her a hardheaded analysis."
Could be, but there aren't many signs of it visible on the campaign trail. Not long after her razor-thin victory in Indiana it was back to business as usual. Just before 4 a.m. campaign officials added a last-minute stop to Wednesday's schedule: a plan for her to speak to supporters in Shepherdstown, W.Va., a small suburban college town that reporters joked was quintessential Clinton country: banners hanging from lampposts next to small-town boutique stores with names like "Mimi's Ice Cream Shoppe" and "The Herb Lady."
The 300 or so supporters who scrambled to the town's center for a glimpse of the candidate brushed off concerns about the status of Clinton's bid and the uphill nature of her fight from here on in. "She's going to win; there's absolutely no way she can't," said Michael Malick, a Clinton supporter from Martinsburg, W.Va., who quickly dismissed her opponent as "not even comparable." Joanne Drewry, another supporter, had the biggest collection of Hillary signs in the crowd. "I've got a lot of faith in her," she told NEWSWEEK. "She's a woman, she's strong, and I know she's got it in her."
Clinton, fierce as ever in a blazing hot-pink suit, also waved off any worries about her political prospects. Speaking to the 300 or so people at a hastily thrown-together rally on the steps of the town's university administration building, Clinton cited high turnout in Indiana and other contests. She argued that the protracted nomination battle is good for the party and made the claim that there's still plenty of time left to catch fire—a view that did not find much support among party leaders in the aftermath of Tuesday's vote. "I still think it's early," Hillary told reporters after the event. "Remember that in June of 1992, that's when Bill really wrapped up the nomination—the middle of June, after the California primary." In fact, her husband effectively became the nominee about three months earlier. On March 20, 1992, the Washington Post reported that Clinton "effectively locked up the Democratic presidential nomination yesterday when former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Tsongas suspended his campaign."
Clinton also pointed to 1968 as precedent for a drawn-out campaign. "You know, I remember very well what happened in the California primary in 1968, as, you know, Senator [Robert] Kennedy won that primary," Clinton said today. "I mean, we traditionally have gone longer than you've seen in the last couple of cycles. And there isn't any problem in closing ranks and unifying." But it's unclear how appealing that example will be to the crucial constituency of undecided superdelegates. Most people don't remember the 1968 Democratic Convention—with riots and chaos unfolding inside and outside the convention hall—as the party's finest hour.
Quoting history is one thing, but it's the here and now on which Clinton will need to focus. With just a handful of contests left, her campaign still trails Obama in the total delegate count. Over the next month voters in five states and Puerto Rico will cast their votes. But as Obama supporters are quick to point out, even massive margins in expected Clinton strongholds like West Virginia (May 13) and Kentucky (May 20) would leave her well short of Obama in the pledged delegate count.
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Member Comments
Posted By: paulte @ 05/26/2008 6:55:18 PM
Comment: What really is her point anyway? She can't win the nomination. That is clear from the math. Yet she stays in anyway. Does she just hate the black guy? It seems like it. I guess she just can't believe that someone in America might be more acceptable to the American people than her for the Democratic nomination.
Her monumental ego just cannot process that factoid! Sad but true!, We are observing a woman driven by a power addiction. Her husband was driven by sex and power. She as a celibate for all practical purposes and certainly not for the love of God is driven by power alone. That is the key to understand Hillary!
Posted By: griffin1 @ 05/23/2008 12:17:53 PM
Comment: I am a true democrat and would have supported the winner of the nomination. I am a white woman 73 years old and although I supported Barack Obama I would have supported Hillary if she received the nomination. They both have similar plans and I believe this country need change and fast. Well we are almost down to the wire and I have lost respect for Hillary. She is now playing dirty and desperate to win. She is now going back on what all the democrats agreed to when they were penalized in Florida and Michigan. Now she wants to seat the states - okay let's accept that let's seat the states but don't act like Obama is against seating them when the entire party agreed months ago before the primary. She need the votes now to help her so now fly there and talk trash. Hillary we can give up all you want but with those states you are still losing, Why not unite the party and stop dragging this party down. Oh yes we understand you have a lot of supporters well so does Barack Obama and we love this country enough to still vote for Hillary and not McCain because that would be out right Stupid but to say all Hillary supporters will not back Obama is a campaign of negativity and fear. Let's get on the same track for the best interest of the USA.
OBAMA 08'
Posted By: mkgubbon @ 05/18/2008 9:15:15 PM
Comment: The question that should be asked is: "Does the American public want the media to elect their next President?" The world is shocked and amazed at how the media in the United States has treated a Presendential candidate for The United States of America. The democratic process of electing a President has been thrown to the wind and equal coverage has not been given to Hillary Clinton. The media has already elected THEIR canidate and vowing to the American public true and just coverage reporting, which should be unbiased has left a bad taste in the mouths of the American public. The media did not give accurate or just coverage of West Virginia. They did not ask why Obama did not even try in WV and why he is in Iowa and totally neglecting Oregon and Kentucky. Obviously those states do not matter. How may Americans do not matter to Obama? A revolution is in the forecast, if Americans cannot get fair and just coverage of a candidate without being "influenced" by the media, then as in history past, do Americans need to go "underground"? This is a perfect time to protest and as in history past, get the truth out with "underground" newspapers. Just like the civil war, the slaves, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King the truth will set us free! Just when is it just and fair to watch a 20 minute speech given by an endorsee and cutting off Hillary Clintons' over 2-1 win WV? To have a discussion on the issues facing the candidates and only have Obama supporters represented has sunk the media to a new low. Ask any American, and they will tell you they are not tired of this race for the democratic party going on, they are tired of the media being biased and unjust in not only their portrayal of President candidate Hillary Clinton, but they are tired of not having a voice, a chance to vote, yes, all votes counted, and they are tired of hearing that this race is over when in reality it is definitely not over! Let America be heard, every vote counts, every state counts, and thank God Hillary has the guts and determination to go forth and make this nation once again the Democratic process, the Democratic freedom that so many have fought for. All the way to the convention floor-we will be heard, we will vote, we will have a say on who are next President is, we are Americans!
M.Gubbons speaks out for America!