Kathianne
02-12-2008, 07:54 PM
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/livecoverage/2008/02/potomac_primary_democrats.html?hpid=topnews
Obama Defeats Clinton in Virginia Primary
By Chris Cillizza
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Sen. Barack Obama scored a convincing victory over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Virginia's Democratic presidential primary, an early indicator of a strong showing for the Illinois senator in today's Potomac Primary.
Polls closed in the Commonwealth at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Virginia was the state in which Clinton, reeling from a staff shakeup and a series of defeats in primaries and caucuses last weekend, had hoped to perform beyond modest expectations.
Obama's win in Virginia bodes well for his chances in Maryland and the District of Columbia, both of which held primaries today. While polls were originally set to close in Maryland at 8 p.m., the closing has been delayed 90 minutes to allow people slowed by inclement weather in the state to cast their ballots. The District of Columbia is still set to shutter its polling places at 8 p.m.
Should Obama sweep the Potomac Primary -- and pick up most of the 168 delegates at stake in the three states -- he will have claimed eight straight contests since Feb. 5th's Super Tuesday votes. He is also well positioned in Wisconsin and Hawaii, both of which vote a week from today.
Clinton once enjoyed front-runner status and led in the race for the 2,025 delegates needed to seal the Democratic nomination. But her campaign has struggled to build momentum after Feb. 5, as national polls have shown Obama pulling into a virtual tie with the New York senator, and Clinton's campaign manager stepping aside less than 72 hours before today's vote.
Independent surveys sponsored by MSNBC and McClatchy over the closing days of the campaign showed Obama with an 18-point lead over Clinton in Maryland. There has been no recent polling in the District. But Obama, the first African American politician with a realistic opportunity of capturing the Democratic presidential nomination, enjoys widespread support among the District's nearly 60 percent black population.
Preliminary exit polling in Maryland and Virginia suggests that the key attribute Democratic primary voters are looking for in a candidate is an ability to bring about change -- results consistent with previous primaries and caucuses. In the past, Obama has done well among voters who say they are seeking fundamental change in politics.
Democrats voting in Maryland and Virginia also say in the exit polling that the economy is the most pressing concern facing the country, just as it has been a top issue for the vast majority of voters taking part in recent caucuses and primaries.
Election officials throughout the region reported potentially record-breaking voter turnout today in the first-ever Potomac Primary as voters seemed eager to take part in one the most closely contested and historic presidential races ever.....
Obama Defeats Clinton in Virginia Primary
By Chris Cillizza
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Sen. Barack Obama scored a convincing victory over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Virginia's Democratic presidential primary, an early indicator of a strong showing for the Illinois senator in today's Potomac Primary.
Polls closed in the Commonwealth at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Virginia was the state in which Clinton, reeling from a staff shakeup and a series of defeats in primaries and caucuses last weekend, had hoped to perform beyond modest expectations.
Obama's win in Virginia bodes well for his chances in Maryland and the District of Columbia, both of which held primaries today. While polls were originally set to close in Maryland at 8 p.m., the closing has been delayed 90 minutes to allow people slowed by inclement weather in the state to cast their ballots. The District of Columbia is still set to shutter its polling places at 8 p.m.
Should Obama sweep the Potomac Primary -- and pick up most of the 168 delegates at stake in the three states -- he will have claimed eight straight contests since Feb. 5th's Super Tuesday votes. He is also well positioned in Wisconsin and Hawaii, both of which vote a week from today.
Clinton once enjoyed front-runner status and led in the race for the 2,025 delegates needed to seal the Democratic nomination. But her campaign has struggled to build momentum after Feb. 5, as national polls have shown Obama pulling into a virtual tie with the New York senator, and Clinton's campaign manager stepping aside less than 72 hours before today's vote.
Independent surveys sponsored by MSNBC and McClatchy over the closing days of the campaign showed Obama with an 18-point lead over Clinton in Maryland. There has been no recent polling in the District. But Obama, the first African American politician with a realistic opportunity of capturing the Democratic presidential nomination, enjoys widespread support among the District's nearly 60 percent black population.
Preliminary exit polling in Maryland and Virginia suggests that the key attribute Democratic primary voters are looking for in a candidate is an ability to bring about change -- results consistent with previous primaries and caucuses. In the past, Obama has done well among voters who say they are seeking fundamental change in politics.
Democrats voting in Maryland and Virginia also say in the exit polling that the economy is the most pressing concern facing the country, just as it has been a top issue for the vast majority of voters taking part in recent caucuses and primaries.
Election officials throughout the region reported potentially record-breaking voter turnout today in the first-ever Potomac Primary as voters seemed eager to take part in one the most closely contested and historic presidential races ever.....