Obama, Clinton battle in Indiana, North Carolina

Wednesday 07th May, 12:54 AM JST

EVANSVILLE, Indiana —

Hillary Rodham Clinton battled for survival while Barack Obama hoped to shore up his front-runner status with a solid showing in twin primaries Tuesday in Indiana and North Carolina, the biggest remaining contests of their grueling Democratic presidential nomination fight.

The hotly contested primaries appeared to be energizing voters in both states in a 16-month race of firsts that could redefine American politics. Dual victories by Obama would all but knock Clinton out of the running, positioning him as the first U.S. black presidential nominee—a staggering achievement in a country where, just over 50 years ago, many blacks in the South could not eat at the same lunch counter as whites.

While Clinton was down in the all-important delegate count, she was by no means out, having secured some valuable momentum following a win in Pennsylvania’s primary last month. Polls have found a small edge for the New York senator in Indiana. Obama remains the favorite in North Carolina, though his lead has shrunk.

Both candidates have predicted the battle would last through June, when the last state contest is held.

Obama began the day by dropping in on the Four Seasons Family Restaurant in Greenwood, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis.

“I feel good,” Obama said when asked about the day’s voting. “I think we’ve campaigned hard. I think it’s going to be close. I’m seeing a lot of enthusiasm.”

Clinton, who toured the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with racer Sarah Fisher, would not make a prediction about the outcome of the primaries.

“Every race is filed with the unexpected. You never know what’s going to happen from day to day,” said Clinton, who hopes to be the first female U.S. president. “I never make predictions.”

Before the opening of polls at 6:30 a.m. in North Carolina, there were signs of record turnout. Nearly half a million people had already cast early and absentee ballots as of Monday _ more than half the total number of voters who cast a ballot during the 2004 primary.

Clinton needs to win at least Indiana to remain viable in the contest given Obama’s solid lead in delegates who will choose the nominee at the party’s August convention in Denver. Heading into Tuesday’s races, Obama had 1,745.5 to Clinton’s 1,608. A total of 2,025 delegates is needed to clinch the nomination.

Obama, meanwhile, must erase doubts about his ability to win the November presidential election against Republican John McCain. Obama has been on the defensive for weeks, battling to win over white working class voters and to distance himself from incendiary remarks by his former pastor.

Clinton has been chipping away at Obama’s advantage in North Carolina and the race in Indiana remains tight. She was leading Obama 49% to 43% in Indiana, according to a Suffolk poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Clinton campaigned into the early morning hours Tuesday. A wealthy inside-Washington veteran, the former first lady worked hard to make common cause with working-class voters crucial to Tuesday’s outcome. She tapped into their frustration with high gasoline prices with her plan for a summertime suspension of the federal gas tax.

“It’s a stunt,” Obama said in Evansville, Indiana. “It’s what Washington does.”

Surging prices at gasoline stations have become a big issues as the campaigns have shift focused from the Iraq war to the struggling economy.

Americans, accustomed to paying among the lowest gasoline prices in the developed world, have been stunned by quickly rising prices. A CNN-Opinion Research Corp poll released Monday found six in 10 saying gas prices have caused financial hardship for their families.

Obama’s position on the plan was backed up by 230 economists who released a letter Monday opposing it. The signers included four Nobel Prize winners and economic advisers to presidents of both parties.

Clinton shrugged off the reviews, saying she was ready to stand up for Americans and “take on the oil companies.”

Obama capped his day Monday with a rain-soaked, get-out-the-vote rally in Indianapolis featuring Motown legend Stevie Wonder, followed by a visit to a factory for the midnight shift change.

With neither candidate likely to get the nomination based solely on elected delegates, the race likely rests with the nearly 800 superdelegates—party leaders and elected officials who are free to vote as they chose. About 220 superdelegates are still undecided.

Despite a rash of recent criticism and his loss in Pennsylvania, Obama has continued to nibble away at Clinton’s lead in superdelegates. The Illinois senator picked up two from Maryland on Monday, leaving him trailing Clinton 255 to 269.5.

Clinton hopes to persuade most of the still-undecided superdelegates that she is the best hope for winning the White House, in part because she is more popular with the party’s working-class base.

The battle has stoked concerns in the party of crippling disunity before the general elections that would boost McCain’s chances despite President George W Bush’s unpopularity and widespread discontent over the Iraq war and faltering U.S. economy.

10 Comments

WhiteHawk at 06:55 AM JST - 7th May

What's this, the third Clinton/Obama/Indiana/North Carolina thread in the last week? Let me know when it's over.
Sarge at 07:35 AM JST - 7th May

"surging prices at gasoline stations"

And people pay them. Incredible! Supply and demand, supply and demand, supply and demand...
skipthesong at 11:38 AM JST - 7th May

whitehawk: Obama won NC! Hillary is leading in Indiana.
Taka313 at 12:34 PM JST - 7th May

In another open primary, both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama soundly defeat Sen. McCain. Taking a look at the states with open primaries, that has been the trend. Sen. McCain wins the battle of the GOP but loses the war, badly. If I were a republican, that would worry me greatly.

Taka
change at 02:06 PM JST - 7th May

Someone please tell her to retract her Indiana victory speech. 2 point is nothing
Sarge at 05:30 PM JST - 7th May

"both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama soundly defeat Sen. McCain"

Well, then, it looks like we're going to get either President Clinton 2 or President Obama. This is foreboding news indeed...
RomeoRamenII at 06:08 PM JST - 7th May

Sen. McCain wins the battle of the GOP but loses the war, badly.

13:

Guess you haven't heard the news, but a liberal will be elected president on Nov. 4th.

But, hey, thanks for playing.

RR
super delegate at 06:50 PM JST - 7th May

If Obama rallies are anything to go by his chances might not be as good as some hope come November.

Some interesting photos -

http://townhall.com/blog/g/082ab837-a4f6-4a7d-bec3-2fff2d27a681
Sarge at 10:27 PM JST - 7th May

RR - A liberal will be elected president? Even if McCain wins? He's not exactly a liberal - he has a fairly conservative voting record...
WhiteHawk at 01:04 AM JST - 8th May

Sarge - The American Conservative Union has McCain at a lifetime rating of 64 (out of 100). Duncan Hunter was the highest-rated conservative to run in the '08 race, with a lifetime rating of 92.

Interestingly, even though the Ron Paul fans often claimed their guy to be the most (or only) conservaitve in the race, the ACU had him tied with McCain.

I think Obama had a 8. Or maybe it was Clinton with an 8 and Obama with a 2. I can't remember.