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