[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/03/05/art.huckplane.cnn.jpg caption=" Huckabee reflected on his presidential bid after dropping out Tuesday night."]LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (CNN) – A smiling and upbeat Mike Huckabee huddled with his traveling press corps one last time on the flight home to Little Rock following his exit from the 2008 presidential race.
“Clearly, things didn't go our way tonight and we had hoped they would, but when the inevitable is staring you in the face, you accept it,” Huckabee told reporters.
He had long said he would stay in the race until someone got the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. When it became clear tonight that McCain would, the former Arkansas governor decided it was time to bow out.
“Ohio and the other states weren't close,” said Huckabee, “it was pretty obvious, I'd been through a lot of elections before. I know when one is on its way to being close and when one isn't. This one wasn't.”
(CNN) - Clinton's Texas win can be attributed to some of the same factors that led her to prevail in Ohio: Overwhelming support from seniors, voters worried about their financial status, and late deciders. Her big margins among these blocs were key in tilting the state to her favor.
Among 65 and over voters, she bested Obama by 37 points. On those voters worried about their financial situation, Clinton held a 13 point advantage. And among those voters who decided in the last three days, Clinton bested Obama by 23 points.
The big margins in those categories were hard for Obama to make up elsewhere.
Clinton was also buoyed by Latino voters in Texas– that group went for her over Obama by roughly 35 points, and constituted about a third of the electorate.
- CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider
Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau
Washington Post: McCain Clinches GOP Presidential Nomination
Sen. John McCain clinched the Republican presidential nomination last night, and immediately castigated his potential Democratic rivals as liberals who lack the experience and wisdom to lead a country facing economic distress at home and engaged in war abroad.
Washington Post: Clinton Takes Wins in Three of Four Primaries
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won critically important victories in Ohio and Texas last night, defying predictions of an imminent end to her presidential candidacy and extending the remarkable contest for the Democratic nomination to Pennsylvania's April primary and perhaps well into the summer.
NY Times: Huckabee Cites Personal Victories in Conceding the Race to McCain
Mike Huckabee, the bass-playing Baptist preacher and former governor of Arkansas, dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday night and endorsed Senator John McCain as the party’s candidate in November.
USA Today: Obama Says Contest Makes Him Stronger
On his way here for another election night vigil, Barack Obama said he's ready to fight for votes in Wyoming and Mississippi and relishes the prospect of a campaign that will "just make us stronger."
NY Times: Ballot Shortages Plague Ohio Election Amid Unusually Heavy Primary Turnout
A federal judge in Ohio granted a request late Tuesday from Senator Barack Obama’s campaign to extend the voting hours in 21 precincts in Cleveland by an extra 90 minutes because of a lack of paper ballots.
CNN is not ready to project a winner in the Texas caucuses.
(CNN) - How did Clinton win Ohio? The exit polls show three areas where she clearly bested Obama.
Seniors:
Clinton's backbone of support came through: She beat Obama big (73-24) among voters 65 and over. Obama won by a similar margin among 18-24 year olds, but those voters only made up 7 percent of the voters while seniors made up 14 percent.
Economic worries:
Roughly 80 percent of voters said they were worried about their financial situation and Clinton carried this group by 5 points. It appears her aggressive standing on NAFTA and her pledges to revive Ohio's economy may have paid off. Roughly 70 percent of Ohio voters also said Clinton has a clear plan to fix the country's problems, while 57 percent said the same for Obama.
Late deciders:
Clinton beat Obama among those voters who decided in the last three days by a wide 20-point margin. Among those voters who decided more than three days ago, she beat Obama by only 10 points – a clear sign Clinton picked up steam in the closing days of the campaign.
- CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider
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