Obama Wins Mississippi Democratic Primary

Obama Wins Mississippi Democratic Primary

Barack Obama won the Mississippi Democratic primary Tuesday, FOX News projects, giving him an expected but vital victory as he tries to fracture the momentum Hillary Clinton picked up with her wins one week earlier.

John McCain won on the GOP side, but the Arizona senator has already locked down the nomination and faced no major rivals Tuesday.

Polls consistently showed Obama was favored to win in Mississippi. The stateâ??s sizable black electorate â?? 37 percent of the stateâ??s population, the highest concentration in the nation â?? was poised to give him a big boost, as it has in other southern states like Georgia and South Carolina. Mississippi offers 33 pledged delegates.

FOX News exit polls showed Obama was heavily aided by a groundswell of support from black voters.

Nearly half the voters in Tuesdayâ??s Democratic primary were black, and they went for Obama by a split of 9-to-1. By contrast, 72 percent of white voters went with Clinton, compared to 27 percent went with Obama.

A majority of voters said race was not an issue for them, but of those who did, 60 percent went for Obama.

Polls closed in Mississippi after a day of racially charged comments. Obamaâ??s campaign called on Geraldine Ferraro, a prominent Clinton supporter, to step down from her position on the Clinton finance committee after she told a California newspaper that Obama was being helped politically by his race.

Obama called the comments â??absurd.â?�

But race wasnâ??t the only factor in Mississippi. Obama still held the lead among voters casting their decisions on a range of issues. Of those who picked the economy as their top concern, 54 percent went for Obama and 45 percent went for Clinton.

Sixty-seven percent said Obama inspires them the most about the future of their country, and 61 percent said Obama offers the most detailed plan.

â??I am grateful to the people of Mississippi for joining the millions of Americans from every corner of the country who have chosen to turn the page on the failed politics of the past and embrace our movement for change,â?� Obama said in a statement.

Both candidates campaigned in Mississippi. Former Gov. Ray Mabus campaigned with Obama Monday and Tuesday. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., also joined Obama on Tuesday, and said before results came in that the heavily black delta region would go overwhelmingly for the Illinois senator.

Obama won the Wyoming caucuses Saturday, but his campaign was reeling from Clintonâ??s victories in the Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island primaries March 4. The wins kept her campaign alive and signaled the Democratic race could drag on through the final contests June 3, and potentially to the August convention.

Neither candidate scheduled an election-night rally Tuesday. Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams issued a statement congratulating Obama after polls closed.

â??Now we look forward to campaigning in Pennsylvania and around the country as this campaign continues,â?� she said.

Both candidates spent their night in Pennsylvania, which is the next big contest on April 22. That followed campaigning in the Keystone State on energy policy.

Mississippiâ??s primary was the last chance to pick up steam before that race, which offers 156 delegates. Thatâ??s the biggest prize left on the primary calendar, and with polls favoring Clinton it poses an opportunity for the New York senator to catch up to Obama in the delegate count.

Obama went into Tuesdayâ??s contest with 1,579 delegates, to 1,473 for Clinton. It takes 2,025 to win the nomination. With Mississippi, 602 pledged delegates were left to be allocated.

Obama picked up at least six delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Mississippi, with 27 more to be awarded. He hoped for a win sizable enough to erase most if not all of Clintonâ??s 11-delegate gain from last week.

Bill Clinton campaigned in Canonsburg, Pa., telling voters just as he did in Ohio and Texas that itâ??s up to them to save her candidacy.

â??I think sheâ??s got to win a big victory in Pennsylvania,â?� he said. â??I think if she does, she can be nominated, but itâ??s up to you.â?�

In Mississippi, turnout was mixed, with the most people showing up in areas that offered both presidential and congressional primaries. Mississippians were voting on two rare open congressional seats.

In some areas, officials said morning rain may have slowed participation.

Mississippiâ??s secretary of state predicted a light to moderate turnout. If the prediction of 125,000 to 150,000 participants holds true for the Democratic and Republican primaries, it would only be around 10 percent of registered voters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Obama Wins Mississippi Democratic Primary - America’s Election HQ



Something bad inside me says that a Dem might become president. So if I had to choose between Obama and Hillary (the lesser of two evils), I'd go for Obama. Because hell, at least he can dance.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rebgirl420

Something bad inside me says that a Dem might become president. So if I had to choose between Obama and Hillary (the lesser of two evils), I'd go for Obama. Because hell, at least he can dance.

---

I'd never vote for either of them, but I think I'd have to agree that Obama would be the lesser of two evils. I know for a straight up fact that I couldn't stand a possible 8 years of Hillary and that incessant nail-to-chalkboard cackle of hers...

Hillary Laugh Montage

Haha yeah I wouldn't vote for them either. It's just that when I watch the "morning" news (Fox and Friends, 24 hour news is a wonderful thing) I woot when I see him beat her.

She really thought she had it in the bag and she doesn't! I knew it was bad when the uber liberal Teddy kennedy came out for Obama. What a slap in the face to Hillary. I loved it.

But yeah, Hillary is unnaceptable. But so is Obama.

So I really hope McCain gets out there and woops some ass. I'm not a fan of him either though. But he'll have to do.

McCain has a good head on his shoulders, it may be aged, but it's experienced and level.

I think he'll do alright in his campaign, because he can actually focus his strength on issues that most Americans care about. The dynamic Dem duo seems to be too busy with name-calling and individualized retorts to each other, and I think that even the Democrats are growing tired of their bickering.

It'll be an interesting race, that much I can say with a clear conscience.

Indeed it will be an interesting race. The first one I get to vote in! I'm 19 and I've been wanting to do it for forever. I registered as a Republican even though I'm libertarian because I want to be able to vote in Pennsylvania's Republican primaries and still get to vote libertarian on all of the other choices.

McCain is a strong, intelligent person. He has character. And I believe he'll use Obama's inexperience against him.

And if Hillary gets the nod somehow it will be okay too, she has a LOT of skeletons in her closet. Plus a lot of people are tired of the Bush/Clinton regime.

130 delegates ahead of Hillary now!:thumbsup:

Somebody has to win the democratic nomination, and I think he'll be relatively decent. And hell, I'm damn happy if Hillary finds out she didn't already have this election bagged after all. At least Obama isn't running on a platform of punishing and fining all that oppose his will, unlike other certain female candidates.

Yeah she's playing old politics.

And "change" and new politics is spreading. It's trendy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rebgirl420

Yeah she's playing old politics.

And "change" and new politics is spreading. It's trendy.

---

Look at Obama's wins.......if "new politics" is about skin color, maybe McCain should pic Condi for a V.P. candidate.

The position of Commander in Chief isn't about cute speeches but being the leader of our armed forces. Where is Obama's experience in that? Even that drunken killer of Chappaquiddick wants to make a comparrison between JFK, his brother, and Obama.....what a joke and disgrace to JFK:
Graduating from Harvard in 1940, he entered the Navy. In 1943, when his PT boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, Kennedy, despite grave injuries, led the survivors through perilous waters to safety.
Biography of John F. Kennedy

McCain has grey hair and I'm turning grey.....GREAT reason to vote for the man.....same damn thing!:wtf: HOPEFULLY some of these blind supporters will dummy up during the general election.

Have a good one!:s4: