Still Trailing, Clinton Challenges Obama Over Ability to Beat McCain
Wednesday: Hillary Rodham Clinton waves to media members on her campaign plane during a flight to a rally in Indianapolis. (AP Photo)
Hillary Clinton’s big win in the Pennsylvania primary yielded only slight gains in the pledged delegate count, putting pressure on the New York senator to pull off a streak of similar victories in the nine contests ahead.
But Clinton is using the victory to build her case that she’s the better Democrat to face presumptive GOP nominee John McCain in November. Her campaign was re-energized as the candidates tour Indiana Wednesday, brushing off the still daunting task that lies ahead.
Clinton raised $3.5 million in the initial hours after her victory, and the campaign said it was on track to raise $10 million online in the 24 hours since winning Pennsylvania — which the campaign claimed was her best one-day haul.
“At the end of the day, people have to decide who they think would be not only the best president, which is the most important question, but who would be the better candidate against Senator McCain. And I think the coalition that I’ve put together, as demonstrated once again last night, is a very strong base for us to beat Senator McCain,” Clinton told NBC’s “Today.”
Not so, said Obama.
“It’s important to put this in perspective,” he told reporters after a town hall meeting in New Albany, Ind., Wednesday. “What we did do in Pennsylvania is create an organization, make voters familiar with me, close the gap significantly, which creates an organization for us in November in a general election. It’s a strong base to build on … We’re very confident about where we’re going to be once we’re the nominee.”
Clinton won at least 81 of the 158 delegates up for grabs in Tuesday’s contest, according to an analysis of election returns by The Associated Press. Obama won at least 70, with seven still to be determined. That closed some of the distance for Clinton, but not enough to take away Obama’s front-runner status. She still trails Obama in the delegate count 1,591 to 1,719 — the eventual nominee needs 2,025 delegates to win. Clinton had been down 1,509 to 1,648 before the night’s delegate tally.
Her electability argument is based on the success she’s had in big states. Clinton has won states, including New York and California, with 240 electoral votes compared to 202 electoral votes in states that Obama has won. She has used that statistic to argue that she will be a better candidate in the general election. Her campaign also issued a statement that she has won more of the popular vote than Obama although that count included Michigan, where he wasn’t on the ballot, and Florida, where neither campaigned.
“I’m very proud that as of today, I have received more votes by the people who have voted than anybody else,” Clinton said Wednesday at a rally in Indianapolis.
Indiana and North Carolina are the next states to vote on May 6.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said any Democrat can win California and New York, but Obama is doing better than Clinton in states where polls have been taken on hypothetical head-to-head match-ups with McCain. Plouffe named Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin as strong Obama performance states. Obama hasn’t won a major state since Wisconsin on Feb. 22.
Plouffe added that by Clinton’s own definition, she must win North Carolina, with 115 delegates, by a healthy margin in order to be consistent in her claim that she can win big states. Polls show Obama well ahead in that state.
“We don’t think performance in primaries is the most important measure in how you’re doing against McCain right now, but we’ve performed well in a lot of those states in the primaries,” Plouffe said. “It’s a flawed exercise to somehow suggest that performance in primaries is the leading indicator in what’s gonna happen in the general.”
He also shot down some of Clinton’s argument that Obama can’t win households with income under $50,000 and voters under 60 . Plouffe pointed out that Obama won voters under 60 in 19 states to Clinton’s nine, and won 14 states to Clinton’s 15 states with voters making less than $50,000.
Obama hinted Wednesday that he feels he’s already earned the nomination.
Asked about superdelegates at his town hall meeting Obama said: “I have to admit I have a little self interest in here — but I do think that these elections that we’ve been doing should be counted for something. And so if we’ve won the most delegates from the voters, seems to me that it might be a good idea to make me the nominee.”
Clinton still leads Obama in superdelegates by 25. Hot off her victory, Clinton on Wednesday picked up a new superdelegate, Tennessee Rep. John Tanner. For either candidate to win, they will have to rely on the remaining 300-plus unpledged party leaders who serve as superdelegates.
“There’s no chance she’s gonna catch him in terms of pledged delegates,” National Public Radio national correspondent Juan Williams told FOX News, adding that if she can make a convincing argument that she can win the big states, then she has a chance to catch up through superdelegates.
“Short of that she’s really inviting civil war inside the Democratic Party. That’s literally the nuclear option,” he said.
FOX News’ Bonney Kapp contributed to this report.
I don’t consider a 10% lead a decisive lead. I also think it is very sad and certainly a sign of our political times that super delegates may feel they have the right to over ride the majority of voters. Who ever came up with the super delegate system should not be part of our government. When are the Clinton supporters going to start recognizing the lies that the Clinton’s are continually involved in. Talk about credibility and character. I agree with the last comment. Where is this huge lead from her grandpa’s home state.
I can’t believe that there are so many people out there who wants anothr Clinton in the Whitehouse along with the same immoral, lying, cheating past resident. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY???? She talks the talk very well, but why doesn’t Obama ask her what national secrets she’s going to sell to China as her husband did? She is absolutely disgusting
I would just like to address Hillary Clinton on the issue that she is now claiming that, Obama will not be able to get the working class vote that has income below 50,000. I am a Black working class Mother raising three children with my husband making under 50,000 a year and he will get my vote before she will. I did not get to vote in the early primary elections of my state, but do not under estimate me or anyone else in this country that did not vote in the early primary elections, I will vote in the most important election of all in November, and my vote will not be for you Mrs. Clinton
Supporter Of the In God We Trust, United States of America
The race would be even closer if Florida & Michigan votes were counted. In fact, Clinton would be leading the popular vote count and Obama would be slightly ahead in the delegate count. People keep talking about adhering to the rules, in order to justify the unfair stripping of Florida and Michigan delegates. Breaking the rules by moving their primary date up is a violation of DNC Rule 11.A. by moving their primary to a date before the first Tuesday in February. However, the penalty to this violation is very clear and specific under DNC Rule 11, which indicates that the states delegates shall be reduced by fifty (50%). Therefore, Florida & Michigan are being unfairly punished by Howard Dean and the DNC. They should have only oss 50% of the delegates, but the DNC wanted to show how much authority it has by penalizing those two states. Let the true winner win by the real formal rules listed in the DNC Bylaws, not by a power hungry DNC leader, Howard Dean.
She did not get the double digit victory that all experts were saying she needed. Her win is now down to 9.3% per the PA data. She missed the mark but everybody says 10%.
Thank you PA for allowing this primary continue. The voters of this state probably just gave the White House to McCain. The Keystone of the Democratic arch…I think not in this instance
Hillary won in her home state. Big deal. Let’s just wrap this up now. I am beginning to lose the will to live.
By the time most of the democrats realize Obama is more a talker than a doer, I think it gonna be too late for democrats. No chance Dems, Obama is not going to win the presidency! He cannot even unite the democrats, forget about the nation! McCain 08!
Think about this Hillary supporters, you say you wont vote for John McCain if Barrack wins the nomination, well if Hillary steals the nomination from Obama when he will lead in delegates and most likely in the popular vote at the end of June 3rd. Believe me a great majority of Obama supporters will not vote for Hillary or will stay home more then you Hillary supporters if Barrack wins the nomination. Get used to McCain being president Hillary supporters all because you couldnt get behind Barrack. Four more years of Republican rule with no end in sight with the war in Iraq, and the economy even suffering worse.
It is in the best interests of the Democratic Party to ensure the contest goes on until the Convention. Let all the states have their say, even Michigan and Florida. Even if it takes money to keep Hillary going. It is as much psychology, as substance, lest you be blind. Each must make their case, only then, shall it be fulfilled. A bird at hand, is worth two in the bush.