Indiana, North Carolina
The 2008 Democratic primaries
Article added on May 7, 2008 at 08:05 Paris time
  
After the Jeremiah Wright controversy and no win in a big state for quite some time, it was crucial for Barack Obama to win the 2008 Democratic primary in North Carolina. In some polls, his impressive double digit lead over party rival Hillary Clinton had melted to single digits after his pastor repeated some of his outrageous remarks, which forced Obama to break up with his pastor for 20 years.

Since 99% of all precincts in North Carolina have been counted, there can be no more doubt that Barack Obama's impressive win with 56% of all votes over Hillary Clinton with only 42% of the votes in North Carolina reinforce his status as the frontrunner and likely candidate in the 2008 Democratic campaign.

The largely African American party base in North Carolina was not pulled off by Obama's handling of the Wright controversy. According to exit polls, he got some 90% of the African American vote. White voters did not defect in large numbers either. Obama's appeal among Democrats remained intact.



More importantly, in Indiana too, the Wright controversy had no major negative effect on Barack Obama's Democratic primary result. After 99% of all precincts have been counted, Hillary Clinton maintains only a narrow lead of 2% over her opponent for the Democratic nomination for president.

Hillary Clinton's win in Indiana with 51% compared to Barack Obama's 49% represent what the senator from Illinois needed: a virtual tie to undercut Clinton's claim to have the momentum on her side.

May 6, 2008 will go down as a black day in the life of Hillary Clinton who has been unable to narrow the gap in pledged delegates separating herself from Barack Obama; on the contrary, the gap has widened.

The already small possibility of seeing a female president taking the White House in November has been reduced further. Only a major blow - such as a video showing Barack Obama in the church applauding Jeremiah Wright during the reverend's insane speech claiming that the United States government created the AIDS virus to decimate African Americans - could sink Obama's chances of becoming the Democratic presidential candidate.



On May 6, 2008 at total of 218 delegates were at stake, 84 in Indiana and 134 in North Carolina. As predicted, Barack Obama won North Carolina, Hillary Clinton Indiana. Mathematics can be cruel. Hillary Clinton was very far from the needed overwhelming double digit wins she needs in all upcoming primaries in order to reduce the gap in pledged delegates.

Once again we have to repeat, for the sake of the unity of the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton should awaken from her state of self-delusion and acknowledge Barack Obama as the party's presidential candidate. The race is over. Will Clinton's money inflow stop now and force her to end her campaign?

Obama's opponent on the Republican side, senator John McCain, is the fairest adversary he can get. A man who said that he is convinced that Obama does not share Wright's outrageous ideas. Many Democrats wished the Clinton camp shared McCain's sense of fairness and realism.

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