Obama Runs The Table In NC; Single-Digit Slug-Out In Indiana

[Richard Tafoya]

LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-campaign7-2008may07,0,7870174.story

In North Carolina, early results from 14% of the voting precincts showed Obama with a 64% to 36% lead. Results from Indiana, whose polls closed half an hour earlier, showed Clinton leading 54% to 46%, with 52% of precincts reporting. CBS has projected Clinton the winner, but other news organizations have held off on making a call.

The candidates' election-night itineraries reflected their expectations. Clinton, the favorite to win Indiana, planned a rally in Indianapolis. Obama, who tops the polls in North Carolina, planned an appearance in Raleigh.

Earlier, before flying east, Obama made two campaign stops in Indiana, stumping for votes at a restaurant in Greenwood and outside a polling place in Indianapolis.

He fell into conversation with a group of breakfast regulars at Greenwood's Four Seasons Family Restaurant, steering the talk to Clinton's proposal for a summertime gas-tax holiday.

"The problem with it is you take away 5% in federal taxes, and the oil companies just raise their prices 5% and it never gets to the consumer," Obama said. " . . . So what I've said in the short term is let's give [an income] tax break to the folks. In the long term we're going to have to figure out how to use oil more efficiently."

[Richard Tafoya]

With Indiana up to 71% reporting, Clinton's lead has tightened up to 52%-48%.

And NC is now reporting a 59%-39% lead by Obama.

[tiger_rascal]

I was just wondering. It seems obvious that Obama will get the nom. However, in the event that he does not, what will, or could, he do if Hillary gets the nom? I mean, it would hardly seem fair. He has stayed ahead of her, even if only slightly during times.

[Richard Tafoya]

Do you mean in terms of challenging the delegate count? Once the primaries and caucuses are finished in June, it pretty much all comes down to math. The candidate with more delegates should receive the nomination.

Either side could raise a fuss about Michigan and Florida to try and bolster their case, but the anticipated resolutions to seating their delegates would pretty much split them between the candidates, pretty much thwarting any windfall.

The IHT updates the delegate math:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/07/america/NA-GEN-US-Elections.php

Obama won at least 40 delegates Tuesday, according to an analysis of election returns by The Associated Press. Clinton won at least 31 delegates, with 116 still to be awarded.

Overall, Obama leads with 1,785.5 delegates to 1,639 for Clinton, out of 2,025 needed for the nomination.

With her loss in North Carolina, Clinton had little hope of narrowing the gap Tuesday even if she wins in Indiana. And with few contests remaining, Clinton has almost no chance of winning enough elected delegates to overtake Obama.

[tiger_rascal]

So its Obama?

No superdelegates having to step in?

Well, I really wanted Hillary, but Obama will do.

[Richard Tafoya]

The final county left unreported in Indiana is Lake County, home to one of the largest black populations in the state in Gary, Indiana.

The county had a massive amount of absentee ballots, and processing them along with the huge turnout in the county has left Lake as the last county to report.

The initial wave of votes trickling in from Lake has cut Clinton's lead in Indiana to just two percent.

Some news orgs are rolling Indiana mack from a projected Hillary win to too close to call.

[Richard Tafoya]

MSNBC is now reporting that Hillary Clinton has cancelled all of her morning news appearances, booked earlier tonight when it looked like Indiana was a solid win.

Update: NBC News now saying that Clinton has canceled all public appearances tomorrow.

[Richard Tafoya]

The major networks are finally calling Indiana for Clinton with about a 2% margin over Obama. What a squeaker.

Where this leaves the Clinton campaign is hard to say. There are reports that Clinton's campaign has fallen into debt, and tonight's performance will probably not fire up cash flow.

[tiger_rascal]

Ok, so if Obama has this in the bag and he will be the nom, why is Clinton still going?