Obama Begins to Reclaim Momentum With Wyoming Win
Barack Obama speaks at a town hall meeting in Casper, Wyo., Friday, a day before winning the state's caucuses. (AP Photo)
Barack Obama’s campaign began to reclaim lost momentum Saturday, beating Hillary Clinton by double digits in the Wyoming caucuses on the road to more critical upcoming contests.
The caucuses only offered 12 total delegates, but both candidates campaigned there and drew rare attention to the state as well as historic turnout.
With all precincts reporting, Obama had 61 percent to Clinton’s 38 percent.
“It’s a big win,” Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said. “It adds to our momentum, it adds to our delegate lead on the road to becoming the nominee.”
Associated Press tallies showed the delegate bonus was negligible. Obama was projected to win seven delegates to Clinton’s five.
The candidates were already shifting their attention toward the Mississippi primary Tuesday, which offers 33 delegates. Polls consistently show Obama ahead in the state, but Clinton stopped by the state Friday to campaign. Bill Clinton had four stops in Mississippi Saturday.
After Clinton disrupted Obama’s month-long winning streak Tuesday with victories in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island, the onus was on Obama to win Wyoming. Obama had prevailed in 12 of the 15 caucuses so far and was generally favored in the state, but there were no public polls beforehand.
Obama got a big bump Saturday from Albany County, which contains the University of Wyoming. The state Democratic Party reported 75 percent of caucus-goers there went for Obama.
“They mounted a very aggressive effort on the ground,” Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said of the Clinton push in Wyoming. “So this is a very important win for us.”
However, Clinton downplayed expectations in Wyoming ahead of time, and campaign manager Maggie Williams issued a statement Saturday claiming the contest was a virtual draw.
“We are thrilled with this near split in delegates and are grateful to the people of Wyoming for their support,” she said. “Although the Obama campaign predicted victory in Wyoming weeks ago, we worked hard to present Senator Clinton’s vision to the caucus-goers and we thank them for turning out today.”
Clinton spokeswoman Hilary Perry told FOX News that the next big contest for them is Pennsylvania, which votes April 22 and offers 158 delegates. It is the biggest prize remaining on the election calendar, and polls show Clinton ahead in the state.
Obama still holds a comfortable lead in delegates. After Saturday’s caucuses, the count stood at 1,578 for Obama and 1,468 for Clinton. It takes 2,025 to win.
With the almost unprecedented political attention, turnout was high in Wyoming as thousands of voters deluged caucus sites. Wyoming Democrats hadn’t played this big a role in 50 years. Republicans have 136,000 registered voters in the state, compared with 59,000 Democrats.
Click here to see photos from the Wyoming caucuses.
“We just don’t even know how to act,” said Wyoming state Rep. Mary Gilmore, a Clinton supporter. “It’s fabulous.”
But party officials were struggling with how to handle the overflow crowds. The start of the Converse County caucus was delayed due to long lines.
In Cheyenne, scores of late arrivers were turned away when party officials stopped allowing people to get in line at 11 a.m. EST.
In the Cheyenne Civic Center, officials were expecting 500 caucus-goers, but 2,500 showed up early in the day.
In Casper, hundreds were lined up at the site of the Natrona County caucus. The location was a hotel meeting room with a capacity of 500. Some 7,700 registered Democrats live in the county.
“Wyoming is usually not thought of as a momentum state, but it happens to fall on a calendar at a good time for both of them,” said Kenneth Bickers, political science chair at the University of Colorado who is an expert in Western politics. “Both of them need to be able to claim a victory. Both of them need whatever delegates they can get to help move their delegate count in a positive direction.”
Only in the last few weeks did the campaigns step up their presence in Wyoming, opening offices and calling voters and sending mailers. The first visit came Thursday, when former President Clinton made three appearances in Wyoming.
The candidates followed on Friday. Clinton held town-hall meetings in Casper and Cheyenne. Obama held a town hall in Casper and a rally in Laramie at the University of Wyoming, counting on support from college students. Obama had been running television and radio ads in the state, while Clinton had been running radio ads.
The candidates had no public events Saturday, but traded barbs via campaign memos about Obama’s Iraq war plan. For the second day in a row, Clinton’s campaign ridiculed Obama for his former foreign policy adviser’s remarks to the BBC that his plan to withdraw troops was flexible.
“And if you can’t trust Senator Obama’s words, what’s left?” the Clinton memo said.
The Obama camp hit back with a memo claiming Clinton still trying to attack him with the “kitchen sink strategy.”
The memo said Clinton “knows full well” that Obama’s plan is to withdraw troops immediately while retaining the flexibility to do it “in a way that ensures the safety and security of our troops.”
Wyoming’s top Democrat — Gov. Dave Freudenthal — declined to endorse either candidate, saying they haven’t talked enough about Western issues. State party chair John Millin is backing Obama, while former Gov. Mike Sullivan has endorsed Clinton.
Although the win in Wyoming may not persuade many superdelegates, it is one more prize for Obama as he makes his case for the nomination.
Wyoming Democrats have relished the attention, harkening back to the 1960 Democratic National Convention when the state’s delegation cast 15 votes that pushed Sen. John F. Kennedy over the top for the nomination.
Party spokesman Bill Luckett said he’s never seen Wyoming Democrats in such a frenzy.
“People are really excited about this year and the role Wyoming is playing,” Luckett said.
FOX News’ Aaron Bruns and Bonney Kapp and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Warning you Mishusippi
Them two are a’commin down the river, commin down fast. In front, shouting Whoopy is the Messiah whom you must crown come Tuesday. He dem makes hem Rules and u must bow. Don’t go a’crossin him now yu hea, fo his a wild one. He, the Chosen one, kowtows to no other.
Just behind is hem woman, runnin a’cryin she …. blah blah blah …. is a’cryin, me uh’tellin yu she’s wild too.
Hide yo loved ones anna chillun, nail yo stuff and propity to the groun’ an be runnin’ fo covuh hea me now.
Obama should only blame himself for not passing the leadership/CinC test. He is not regaining any momentum by continuing to win these states with the black votes. All it says that the majority of Blacks are united to vote for a Black no matter what. There is a minority within this block who are thinking independently for themselves.
Obama failed because he is not walking his talk - refused to answer the questions on Rezko, he ran away from the press after only 8 questions from the press. If the press had done its jobs long time ago, perhaps, Obama would not have won these many states.
Clinton continues to get voters from many different blocks, she has to work hard to earn them, including the women’s, latinos, and black votes. Since the media has refused to ask questions, until very recently, Clinton has no choice but to ask these questions herself.
America, brace yourself. How I would hope this was not necessary to say, but it is all so clear from News reaction by the widest spectrum of ordinary citizens, and almost incredible nobody seems to pick it up.
Iran has always hated anything American since the Carter days. For the Senator to say President Bush is to be blamed? Did you not expect a reaction? Even if you did not, don’t you see it now? America has reached the crossing of the roads; it is all so clear if you just read Readers Comments. Obama is striding across the screens, unperturbed, imperial, in Messiah cloth, demanding McCain should “repudiate Wyoming” but his Camp where it started? …. Don’t try tell me he did not know it …. It was all so well planned.
What I clearly see is [Please allow me this, |Michael Fox] “Forward to the Past” on Fast Forward mode.
Let me close with extreme sadness. Unless you act right now, America will burn before this year is out. Save this comment, but for the sake of your land take precautions NOW [I SAY NOW] [NOT TOMORROW OR NEXT WEEK, MEAN NOW]. You must be blind not to see it. The biggest WAR is building up in homes, minds and people’s hearts. That’s how Terrorism works; I fervently hope it can still be stopped before it spills out into the streets and in the 2008 Convention Cities.
Please take note I am not saying Iranians will sing in the streets …. Not at all. What I am saying is America contains within itself the seed to self-destruct and that is all your enemies need in this kind of War …. Indeed they are promoting the process.
Iraq? Forget Iraq. Compared to what is building up in peoples’ minds Iraq will look like a walk in the park. You don’t believe it? …. Take note of the date I pen this: Sunday, March 09, 2008 and remember.
For how long are we going to have this Love Fest with Senator Obama? The man is no Messiah [not the desirable sort anyway; he is working on his own schedule known to him only.
Cry America.
What next?
A junior Senator got to where he is by using tried and tested systems. Now he wants to be a big man, saying he will change everything.
How Senator?
I submit, either you have your own private agenda to further your own interests and destroy what America has always stood for [let me tell you now, America will not allow that] or you are a liar looking for votes. Which one is it, Sir?
I submit: You are a Liar, an Imposter with a big mouth, Senator, inside a hollow, but very shallow, one massive empty ego; that is all.
Hillary was living within the White House with her Bill who was President but does that give her
thinking she be there this go around as our President in 2008- I DO NOT think so…………….
If she were a strong person as a leader she would not have kept Bill- she kept Bill only to’help
her thru this election forth coming with hopes of W I N N I N G……
Comment from Arizona Dem
Clinton may be be a monster but it took 37 years, Obama only took 10 years for him to get that way, most of the e-mails about Obama you guys need to look at the facts, and I am one of those people who are uneducated and an independent voter who votes for the most able ask yourselves the monster or the anti-christ who can run this nation. p.s. I am not a McCain fan.