April 22, 2008
Posted: 03:04 PM ET
From CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand (CNN) – Shortly after Barack Obama’s campaign released a memo raising the bar on a Hillary Clinton win by saying her victory in Pennsylvania was a foregone conclusion, her campaign released their own memo accusing their opponents of “attempting to pre-spin” a loss in that state. “[A]fter the Obama campaign’s ‘go-for-broke’ Pennsylvania strategy, after their avalanche of negative ads, negative mailers and negative attacks against Sen. Clinton, after their record-breaking spending in the state, a fundamental question must be asked: Why shouldn't Sen. OBAMA win?” they wrote in the memo sent to reporters Tuesday afternoon. Repeating a longtime message, they wrote that a loss in Pennsylvania would raise serious questions about Obama’s ability to beat John McCain. Obama staffers were attempting to raise the bar on a Clinton win “because they know that the race is neck and neck and tonight's contest is a measure of where the campaign stands.” “The press and the pundits have repeatedly counted Sen. Clinton out and she has repeatedly proved them wrong. The vote in the bellwether state of Pennsylvania is another head to head measure of the two candidates and of the coalition they will put together to compete and win in November.
“No amount of spin from the Obama campaign will change that — nor will it explain away anything less than a victory by Sen. Obama.” At a Philadelphia campaign stop, Obama himself seemed to partially agree with their view. “Well, let me cut to the chase. A win is 50 plus one,” he told reporters. “So if Senator Clinton gets over 50 percent she’s won the state and you know I don’t try to pretend that I enjoy getting 45 percent and that’s a moral victory, we’ve lost the state. He added that at the end of the process, he would have won twice as many states, the popular vote, and the pledged delegate count “and when I hear arguments, well he hasn’t won this state or that state….we feel good about where we are. It’s been an uphill climb here in PA.” Filed under: Pennsylvania
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