(CNN) - Shortly after Hillary Clinton claimed a decisive victory in Pennsylvania Tuesday night, staffers for Barack Obama’s campaign sent reporters a memo in which they tried to argue once again that her win in the state had left the status quo fundamentally unchanged.
“Tonight, Hillary Clinton lost her last, best chance to make significant inroads in the pledged delegate count,” they wrote. “The only surprising result from Pennsylvania is that in a state considered tailor-made for Hillary Clinton that she was expected to win, Barack Obama was able to improve his standing among key voter groups since the Ohio primary.”
They said that Clinton’s lead over Obama with white voters had narrowed slightly, and her advantage among seniors had shrunk by nearly half - but that gap remained significant, at 24 percent. They pointed to Obama’s strength with Independent voters, a group that did not participate in Tuesday’s primary vote.
“The bottom line is that the Pennsylvania outcome does not change dynamic of this lengthy primary,” they wrote. “While there were 158 delegates at stake there, there are fully 157 up for grabs in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries on May 6.”
The Obama team had made similar arguments in the days leading up to Pennsylvania's primary, in which Clinton was favored despite being significantly outspent by the Illinois senator's campaign.
From CNN Politics
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A granddaughter of Pennyslavian, help from a dynasty, former president, someone who has been a senator for 8 years and has 35 years experience of dodging the sniper fire would have done much better than a newcomer-someone who is trying to introduce himself to the people and at the same time looking fro a vote. Hillary. would have won by double digits-look at what her negativity is doing to her. She is not even aware /is in denial. Never mind the whole steaming truth will suffice soon. The American people easily forget what 9/11 did to them, who voted for the war, the very reason why we have all these economic problems. How do you vote positively for someone who started the fire? Its going to be a vicious circle if people are not going to open their eyes and if people are made to believe the false promises that this lady and her husband stand for.
Obama 08
Make no mistakee..Hillary fought hard but lost! She needed 25% for anyone with money to take her seriously.
She is done...done...done. If the party nominates her now it will be based on something other than pledged delegates, even with MI. and FL. It will be seen as an illegitimate nomination and the most expensive boondogle in US political history!
Hillary = No Black Vote = No educated vote = No soft Republican vote = No Independent vote.
WE still remain ahead of the rat race.
Even if she wins all the remaining contests by 55% to 45%,she will still not be ahead in the delegate race.
But even that is Impossibly crazy.
Cant she see the math?
thank you daniel!!!!!!!
i support clinton, but will be first in line to vote for obama should he get the nomination. this in-fighting is so (expletive) silly...all this talk about splitting the party...please...it is only split if we split it....i like to think we are all bigger than that...!
clinton '08
democrat '08
since we're on the subject anyway I do not understand why people are disrespectful to Barack. Hillary can take the win, but you wanna know somethin? when all this is over "NObama" will be Obama again and he will defeat Sen. McCain come November. I just can't see how people can say that Hillary's nomination is "inevitable". Possibly a nomination for most selfish senator. That's the only time you'll catch me checking the Clinton box. I find it funny that all the Clinton supporters don't think that leaving the decision to superdelegates is a big deal. OF COURSE you would think that because you are LOSING and that's your only out!!!! I realize Barack can't pull off the total either, but he's only winning twice as many states, more pledged delegates, and oh by the way he is gaining on McCain in polls unlike other senators. The Reps. want Hillary because they can BEAT her. Do you honestly believe they would want her to make the race closer? That's a rhetorical. Figure it out people!
Vote Obama!!! The only choice left!
What exactly is it that Hillary and her husband forget in the white house that she is fighting so hard to retun there to pick up?
Whenever i see and hear her make some of those comment attacking Obama, i see desperation and sometimes a certain level of hatred.
I had so much respect for this woman when her husband was president, but now all i have for her and Bill is the direct opposite.
If the democrats don't do something quickly, Hillary will only leave them with a batterred party which will limp into the general election and get hammered by some aged republican caled Mccain.
Hillary is behaving like 'A DOG IN A MANGER' . If she can't get it, she don't wanna let anyone else get it. I can see that she won't get it, inspite of Penn. but she would have destroyed the democratic party to that extent of gifting George W. Bush a third term.
SAD!
Why must Hillary supporters keep bringing up the fact that Obama outspent her 3:1 and still lost? He outspent her 3:1 and cut her lead by 17%, that is extremely impressive. Get a clue and drop out, Hillary. This was a victory for Obama's perseverance and fund-raising ability, and if PA wasn't tailor-made for the Clintons he would have trounced you.
Mike-
NO, I did not fail math.
All the number I posted above are accurate.
Maybe you should go and reread my THREE posts above – there are no errors.
Clinton only gained a net of ten delegates in PA.
Clinton needs 432 more to win.
Obama needs only 303 more to win.
She can not gain on him with pledged delegates and she will not get a high enough percentage of supers to overtake him. It's easy as 2+2=4
Hillary won tonight. Why do obamas supporters feel the need to attack her for that? It doesn't matter what you all say about her. Your negativity towards her doesn't change the fact that she won the PA primary.
You are spouting off numbers to make yourselves feel better but the bottom line is, HILLARY WON, tonight.
When I think about why you all behave like that... all I have to do is think back just a short time ago when your messiah gave Hillary the finger on national TV and you all cheered him on. Now that's grown up. We surely don't need that kind of behavior in the white house.
Can you imagine where we will be when barack gives China or Russia the finger, when they oppose him. We will ALL be toast.
Hillary Clinton is a tenacious fighter and she doesn't mind hitting below the belt (just ask Bill what happened after Monica), but I've said all along, and I will continue to say, "America will not elect a WOMAN President in 2008." Even if she is the Democratic nominee, Hillary will not get the number of male votes to become President. The only reason Hillary is still in the game right now is because Obama is black.
the real winners are the republicans the democrats should have won this election but it slips from their grasp each day this goes on to bad for the usa and the rest of the world 4 more years of a republician president!
I am a democrat and we are in big trouble. If Obama wins, I am willing to bet 20% to 30% of Hillary's supporters will either vote for McCain out of spite or stay home on election day. And if Hillary wins, the same probably holds true for Obama's supporters. All of this infighting between Obama and Hillary supporters is simply going to end in another Rebuplican victory – and maybe they deserve it since we democrats cannot seem to get our act together. Somewhere in his deep dark lair, Karl Rove is cackling with glee!
I just sent $100 to Hillary. I voted for her with no reservations. Up until a few months ago, Obama was a complete stranger to me, Hillary I've known and liked for almost 20 years. I can't vote for a man to the highest office in the land when his resume is so light. I think he will make a great President someday, but not just yet.
Go Hillary!
Never fear, the rest of the country isn't as blind and aren't a bunch of sheep to even give Hillary a hint at a shot of winning the nomination.
Obama will win the nomination in '08!
It's a wonder Obama didn't lose by more, considering all the Republicans who have followed Limbaugh's advice to switch parties and vote for Clinton.
Fact is, if she gets the nomination, I know a LOT of Democrats and independents who'll vote for ANYONE other than her, and "anyone" easily includes McCain. We can't imagine voting for someone who is as arrogant, dishonest, manipulative, and power-hungry as she is.
If the party endorses her, it will have made a huge mistake. There are more people in this country who can't stand her than there are who are willing to accept a Republican "maverick." Obama has proven he can win over voters – something Clinton is virtually incapable of doing. For those of you who doubt that claim, it's time for you to venture outside your liberal enclaves, where Clinton is a viable national candidate, and meet the rest of America.
I'm living in Montana, where racism still lingers in a not-always-subtle way, but I'll tell you this: for every person I've met who's hesitant, but not entirely averse, to voting for a black man with little experience, there's another who voted for Bush (despite HIS lack of experience) because he/she despised Gore for his mere connection to the Clintons. There's a chance that some of the former will vote for Obama, but there's NO chance the latter will vote for Clinton.
She's won every big swing state, and yet somehow you fools in San Fransisco think she should bow out? Its clear: Hillary appeals to the moderates within the Democratic party and Obama to the activists further down the spectrum. You tell me who does better in the general election. You STILL haven't learned the lesson of Gore/Kerry?
Hillary,
Should'nt you rather be crying? Ur husband was first man for 8years, you were first lady for 8years, you've been a senator for only God knows how long, you claimed to have worked for the people so much and all you could beat a small boy of yesterday with was just by 10%?
Take my advice, go to the ladies and cry out your eyes and then throw in the towel
This is insignificant. Obama's lead in delegates was 144 before Pennsylvania . . . and now it's 138. That means Clinton reduced Obama's lead by only 4%. That's virtually nothing. And none of the remaining primaries will be as favorable for Clinton. No matter how much propaganda is spread by her mouthpieces . . . Clinton is toast.
Hey guys, don't you know how to count?
HIllary: 54.3 %
Obama: 45.8 %
Obama lost by 8.5%. That's wonderful considering Penn was so big for her till 6 weeks ago. Just for her name cognition, she started with a 25 point margin 2 months ago, 6 weeks ago, 20% margin, and today 8.5%
Awsome!
okay clinton only lead obama by 6 delegates in this contest! that is not a lot. In texas she won by like 3%. Not by MUCH!!! there were only a few big states that she won by a landslide. She obviously would win NY since she was the senator of that state.
People need to wake up and smell the coffee. Do a little research before you start saying one thing or another. The media obviously dictates things to you people. Did you hillary supporters know that that same reverend that Obama had, was the same one that comforted hillary and bill when they went through the monica L. situation?
Obama and HIllary have ups and downs against mcCain in certain states. So you need to look at the broader picture.
hillary is a liar, and a bad one too. I used to like her, but lately she is getting tacky.
I think we have now come to the point where the Dems have to put 1 candidate forward and begin to concentrate more on winning the general election. This nomination race is getting too drawn out and exposing the Dems' weaknesses, which can only work to the Reps' advantage.
On top off it, Hillary got also the votes from the republicans who specially crosover to the democrats to keep this campagne running. This group should not be consider to vote for the democrats in the fall.
It's funny how just before the polls closed, the question was still on the table of whether Hillery should quit. She wins PA and the attitudes change. The fact is that nothing has really changed. It is still the same tight race it was before Tuesdays Primary. In other words, I've watched individuals totally discount what Obama has already done. Wow! Have you ever heard the song "Love the one you're with?" That's how some of the newscastors do it. This contest has been great in one instance, but if you loose, they have you all washed up and out! I don't think so... Hillery has got to do some real work. And personally, she should have won in PA. Let's see what happens next!
Obama was gracious about his loss. He had no complaints. Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot! Ugh! Anyway, I, for one, am not worried. He will go on to win most of the remaining contests and will wipe out any gain she received today when he wins North Carolina. Atleast North Carolina knows what they are doing!
I've read everyone's comments. Some are thoughtful some are just plain .. what's the word.. mean-spirited I guess. I like Senator Obama. I have from the start and not just because I'm from Illinois. I'm sad he had to do some slinging of his own. It would be nice if he were able to run a campaign that didn't focus on the negative. But sometimes you can only be slapped a few times before you have to slap back. Every time I have listened to Senator Clinton, it seems like it's the same old story just a different day. Why is it that nobody seems to stay focused on the whopper she told about being shot at by a sniper but yet Senator Obama is being crucified for what other people say and being held accountable because he knows them. How many people does Mrs. Clinton know that say and do the same things that we don't hear about? I know what he meant about the "bitter" comment. I too am bitter!! I'm about to lose my job because of NAFTA (Clinton project) and possibly my house too. I do care about the issues and I have never been so moved by a candidate before in the 32 years I've been able to vote. I've lost 3 jobs since the Bush administration and I am so hopeful for this country and for my children to see the end of the Republican run in the White House. I surely hope everyone else is tired of it also. Unfortunately, I would stay in this same boat with McCain becoming our next president. Business as usual folks... keep your eye on the ball and NOT on the b.s. being fed to all of us.