Hillary Wins Primaries
Hillary Clinton Defeats Barack Obama on March 4th
Senator Clinton scored crucial wins in 3 states in the March 4th primaries. While the net delegate count remained largely unchanged, the momentum building power of her wins is indisputable.
Ohio
In the Buckeye state, Clinton garnered her biggest prize. She captured 54% of the vote as opposed to 44% for Barack Obama, according to CNN. Pundits attribute her victory here to her unwavering support in the elderly and white middle class category, as well as doing well amongst women and Hispanics.
Rhode Island
Not much attention was paid to the state by either the media or the campaigns; it only provided a paltry 21 delegates. However, as the first state Clinton bagged- here with a resounding 58% of the vote- it was an optimistic first punch of the night for rival Obama, who claimed just 40%, according to CNN.
Texas
The Lone Star state was the big cliffhanger. With its convoluted primary/caucus process and amongst polling disputes, all the delegates in the state have yet to be awarded. Still, Clinton was the clear winner with 51% of the vote compared with 48% for Barack Obama, according to CNN.
Texas was perhaps the most bitterly fought race. With the most delegates up for grabs and large segments of the population which seemed to favor both candidates (Blacks overwhelmingly supported Obama while the state's sizeable percentage of Hispanic voters broke for Clinton ), Texas was the one to watch.
In the end, Hispanics accounted for a bigger turnout, and late deciders went for the Senator from New York . Still, as of nearly 24 hours later, final caucus tallies are still not in for the state, though Obama was ahead here.
What's Next
The next state to hold a primary is Wyoming , on Saturday March 8th, followed by Mississippi on March 11th. But the next big prize will undoubtedly be Pennsylvania on April 22nd, which offers 158 delegates, and could mean a lot to the victor. Currently, Hillary Clinton is in the lead there as well, though it has decreased in recent weeks.
The strategies of both campaigns will inevitably focus on areas of the state where they can accumulate the highest percentage of supporters- Obama in urban areas with large African American constituencies like Philadelphia and Clinton in more rural areas. And, as in past states, it will all come down to how many supporters can be convinced to cast their ballots.
A Protracted Battle
Certainly, we can expect an exciting and hotly contested battle at least until late April. While some claim the slug fest is dividing the Democrats, it will nevertheless be interesting to see if Clinton can reclaim her crown from current heavyweight Obama.
After her March 4th triumph, Hillary Clinton looks well poised to rack up more delegates, as well as to hold on to her precious superdelegate advantage. Still, whether she can overcome Obama’s grassroots efforts and idealogical fervor in the end is another matter.
Clearly, Clinton’s March 4th victories packed some real punch, though. And with several weeks left until Pennsylvania, it remains to be seen who will be the last man- or woman- standing.
Hillary Clinton, headshot
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