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Obama takes delegate milestone, splits wins with Clinton (4th Roundup)

May 21, 2008, 5:55 GMT

Washington - Barack Obama said he was 'within reach' of the Democratic presidential nomination after claiming an insurmountable lead Tuesday in delegates elected during nearly five months of intra- party votes, as he and rival Hillary Clinton split Oregon and Kentucky. Obama stopped just short of declaring victory in a speech from Iowa - which began the nomination process and became his first state victory on January 3 - while Clinton remained defiant that the nomination was still up for grabs. 'We have returned to Iowa with a majority of delegates elected by the American people,' he said as the crowd erupted in the Midwestern state's capital Des Moines. 'You have put us within reach of the Democratic nomination for president of the United States of America.' Obama has now passed the mark of 1,627 out of 3,252 delegates at stake in the state-by-state contests - a symbolic milestone in the party's nomination battle. The Illinois senator remains short of the 2,025 total delegates needed to seal his candidacy for the November 4 presidential election. Elite party members known as super delegates make up about one-fifth of the total and could still potentially swing the nomination either way. Clinton has vowed to stay in the race at least until primaries in South Dakota and Montana, which will be the last states to vote on June 3. Puerto Rico is the only other remaining contest on June 1. The former first lady has continued to lobby undeclared party officials, arguing that she is better placed to beat presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in November. Clinton thanked her supporters for the 'overwhelming vote of confidence' as official results in Kentucky gave her a landslide victory, 65 per cent to 30 per cent. 'Some have said that your votes didn't matter, that this campaign was over, ... but that didn't stop you,' she told supporters at a rally in Louisville. 'You've never given up on me, because you know I'll never give up on you.' In Oregon, Obama was leading by 58 per cent to 42 per cent, with nearly 70 per cent of precincts counted in the Pacific North-West state. Obama, who would be the nation's first African-American president, said it was time to unite the party in a wide-ranging speech that also laid out his general-election strategy against the centre-right McCain. He paid tribute to Clinton, saying she had 'shattered myths and broken barriers' in her own bid to become the first female president of the United States. Clinton, 60, had been clearly favoured to win in Kentucky, a rural state with a large population of the working-class voters who have recently favoured her over Obama. The result comes on the heels of her victory by a 40-point margin last week in neighbouring West Virginia. The 46-year-old Obama had been expected to win in Oregon, a state of more affluent, left-leaning and university-educated voters who place a strong emphasis on environmental issues. Only three more contests remain, concluding on June 3, and many Democratic leaders have pressed undecided super delegates to make up their minds by the end of June. Obama began the day a little more than 100 delegates from the finish line of 2,025. Clinton, who represents New York state in the US Senate, was about 200 delegates behind, with 103 delegates available in Tuesday's two states. While Obama has increasingly turned his attention to the general election against McCain, Clinton believes her victories in crucial swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania could convince super delegates to tip the nomination in her favour. 'We have to get this right. We have to select a nominee who is best positioned to win in November,' Clinton said. 'I'm going to keep making our case until we have a nominee, whoever she may be.'

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never allow you to go back to your lives as usualMay 21st, 2008 - 06:45:53

'He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism ... that you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed.'

-Michelle Obama

'We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK. That's not leadership. That's not going to happen.'

Barack Obama

Got it yet you bitter gun clinging racist hillbillies? You have your orders, now get to it!

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WHAT A WASTE OF TIME $May 21st, 2008 - 10:33:56

These petty arguments, slurs, insulting remarks and completely unnecessary twaddle have been going on for months. It all amounts to bar-room chatter.

What a meaningless exercise of literary rubbish. The Democrats have made such a horrific, astonishing and illogical choice, resulting in an insult to the American people. One cannot imagine a party planning machine going so wrong.

Who the hell cares what candidates the Democratic Party choose to be their Presidential nominee ? It may as well be Mickey Mouse. In fact, come to think about it, Mickey Mouse would be a better choice, since everybody likes HIM.

The price of gasoline is astronomically more important than some insignificant idiot being put up by the Democrats for President.

All this M&C bickering is pointless. OK it provides us with an amusing hobby, but voting for irrelevant party glory seekers is quite different to voting for a President, where it DOES MATTER.

When November comes, the idiotic, insulting and astonishing selection of the Democratic Party for Presidential office will bury them as a party for years.

They have in effect committed political suicide and ensured that the Republicans become the only party of respected politics in all America.

Miraculously by this Democratic stupidity they have guaranteed a 100% turnout by the Republicans and probably a 30% defection of their own disenchanted voters, come crunch time.

McCain will be elected as President by the biggest majority any previous campaign has ever seen in American history. A LANDSLIDE VICTORY !

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BE PROUD OF YOUR HISTORYMay 21st, 2008 - 11:20:19

Ever since the first settlers set foot on American soil in 1607 - they were actually almost all British - Americans have overcome extreme hardships and fought to develop our society of today over hundreds of years, much of it won in blood, guts, sweat and tears.

In all this remarkable history of establishing a free country from a wilderness, there is NOT ONE single instance over all these hundreds of years where an American icon, either in war or politics has been either a WOMAN or a BLACK.

I am not interested in public squabbles like Civil Rights or parking offences, I am talking about primary hard-won American historical events leading to the great, powerful and free nation we have today.

AND now what do we do ? Enact some Hollywood script and offer the nation either a WOMAN or a BLACK !!!!!

Where is the WHITE MAN ? Do I sense the dreaded racial discrimination ?

All Hollywood scripts MUST have a White man, a Black man, a Woman and a Parrot. OK, the Parrot is missing, although it would almost certainly do better than the two fools being trundled around at the moment.

Why is the Democratic Party desecrating our proud history by going against all proven logic and trying to play some impractical appeasing game on such an important occasion ?

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@BE PROUD OF YOUR HISTORYMay 21st, 2008 - 15:46:45

Your post is right on the mark; this Democrat situation is pitiful. What seems equally pitiful is the fact that every body is taking this foolery in stride, nobody seems surprised or dismayed.

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SP4: nonsenseMay 21st, 2008 - 16:59:42

The dems are having a spirited race. What is wrong with that????

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And........May 21st, 2008 - 18:10:46

the Republicans sound like a bunch of hate mongers. All they have to offer is an elderly man who is all about Bush policies and keeping the Bush Battle going in Iraq!

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www.recreate68.orgMay 21st, 2008 - 18:14:11

'All they have to offer is an elderly man who is all about Bush policies and keeping the Bush Battle going in Iraq!'

Better to elect a corrupt child and surrender to al qaeda...

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TO SP4May 21st, 2008 - 18:16:44

SP4: nonsenseMay 21st, 2008 - 16:59:42

The dems are having a spirited race. What is wrong with that????
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Well ESS PEE, just about everything.

A horse race is made up of fine, top quality horses and the winner is always a superb animal.

In this Democratic Kentucky Derby, we have two poor quality NAGS running and the winner will, after a good pat on the back be destined for the knackers yard, not some winners podium.

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And......May 21st, 2008 - 20:59:13

why is it necessary to repeat everything before a reply - LOL

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