Dem Race Draws to an End... The Winner?
By John Jessup
CBN News Washington Correspondent
May 21, 2008
CBNNews.com - Despite a stinging defeat to Hillary Clinton in Kentucky, Barack Obama now has a commanding lead that is all but impossible to beat. He is presently claiming a majority of pledged delegates.
But while Clinton may be down in delegate votes, but she's not out.
A Split Victory
A different set of races, but the scenario is still the same -- Obama and Clinton split wins in Oregon and Kentucky.
Clinton took her victory lap in Louisville, while Obama declared a major milestone from the state that launched his campaign.
"We have returned to Iowa with a majority of delegates elected by the American people, and you have put us within reach of the Democratic nomination for President of the United States," Obama said in Iowa.
Obama's 16-point win in Oregon puts him within 100 delegate votes from securing the nomination.
And in recent days his campaign has signalled a transition from the primary fight to a match-up with John McCain in the fall.
But Clinton - who handily won Kentucky - says, not so fast. she's staying in the race until all the votes are counted.
"Neither Obama nor I will have reached the magic number when the voting ends on June the third," Clinton said. "I am going to keep making our case until we have a nominee, whoever she may be."
Can Dems Bridge the Divide?
Critics worry the candidates aren't only splitting wins, but dividing the party. Obama is still having difficulty cutting into Clinton's base of supporters.
But both Clinton and Obama say Democrats will come together after the last primary votes in Puerto Rico, Montana, and South Dakota.
"We won't just unite our party, we will unite our country and make sure America's best years are still ahead of us," Clinton said.
Clinton's advisers are aware that the calls for her to drop from the race will intensify between Tuesday's primaries and the next contest in Puerto Rico on June 1. But they say there is virtually no chance the former first lady will do so.
They say that she is firmly committed to staying in the race through the remaining primaries and the meeting of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee May 31, where the situation involving disputed primaries in Michigan and Florida may be resolved.
Even though the three contests will yield just 86 delegates total, Clinton expects to do well in Puerto Rico on June 1 and her advisers say she will compete actively in South Dakota and Montana.
Arguably, this has been the best fundraising cycle in history. Obama took in nearly $32 million in April. Clinton has raised $22 million.
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