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Obama wins big in North Carolina while Clinton edges home in Indiana

James Forsyth

Wednesday, 7th May 2008

It might have been a split decision but with Obama winning North Carolina by 14 points and coming within twenty-odd thousand votes of Clinton in Indiana it was an emphatic points victory for Obama that puts him on the brink of winning the nomination. Hillary Clinton’s downbeat appearance tonight suggested that she knows the game is almost up.

On Tuesday morning, the rough metric everyone was using was would Clinton win Indiana by more than Obama won North Carolina. In the end, there was no contest: North Carolina was called instantly for Obama, Indiana not until 99 percent of the vote was in. Significantly, Clinton has cancelled her morning show appearances tomorrow.

If Obama had won both states, the pressure on Clinton to drop out would have been enormous. But her narrow victory in Indiana does not buy her that much time. Although, she can expect a boost from the West Virginia contest next week which she should win in a landslide.

The question for Clinton now becomes how does she want to manage her exit. She can stay in and risk further alienating herself from the party. Or, she can prepare a graceful depature from the race.

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Jo

May 7th, 2008 9:03pm

mmmm . . I couldn't finish watching the video of her victory speech. Bill was looking malevolent in the background and was only clapping a good second after the crowd got going.

TGF UKIP

May 7th, 2008 9:57pm

Never have I been more glad to be so comprehensively wrong as in predicting Hillary to win N. Carolina and going on to take the nomination. I can now sleep more soundly that there is so little chance of the Clintons being back in The white House. Let's just pray now, that McCain doesn't have too many more "senior moments" in the next six months.

Augustus

May 8th, 2008 12:00am

"Obama wins big in North Carolina..." Yes, but will he ultimately 'connect' with the majority of all Americans? If a lot of those supporting Obama believe that some kind of group solidarity is required because of skin colour they will just be furthering the race card, instead of concentrating on the common Christian values for all races. Tainted, however unintentionally, by Black Liberation theology, he is not going to be able to exercise the influential role America would require of him as President quite so easily. It is not that he is black that would be the problem, it is that he might find it difficult to find the truth to transcend what he may come to represent.

Ian C

May 8th, 2008 2:48pm

Interesting thoughts Augustus. Nicely put. I would say that, unspoken, race will be a major reason he will lose in November and partly for the reasons you expose. But this is not totally unconnected to his soft(mushy)-left underbelly per his voting records.