So nice to see someone who can think for himself. Too many people's minds are clouded by hype.

I hate how Obama followers are bitching so much about the Nevada caucus that the doors were closed early. They act like only the Obama peeps were left out... like there werent any Hillary supporters that didnt make it in time.

!!
This is pretty much my case for picking Clinton over Obama, she has higher and more-related experience to this position than him.

Obama with 13-point lead in South Carolina: poll By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
Fri Jan 25, 1:10 AM ET



CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Barack Obama has a 13-point lead on rival Hillary Clinton but his support has eroded slightly on the eve of South Carolina's Democratic presidential primary, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Friday.

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Obama's edge on Clinton slipped by two points overnight but remained in double digits, 38 percent to 25 percent, in the rolling poll, with John Edwards gaining two points to climb to 21 percent and inch closer to second place.

The poll has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black U.S. president, had an 18-point lead over Clinton in the initial poll published three days ago but has seen his support fall from 43 percent to 38 percent.

Obama and Clinton have battled fiercely over the last week, trading accusations about their records in an increasingly rancorous duel for the right to represent the Democratic Party in November's election.

Obama continues to enjoy strong backing among black voters, who are expected to be more than half of the electorate in Saturday's Democratic primary. Obama won 55 percent of blacks in the poll, with Clinton at 18 percent.

"Obama still leads, but the lead keeps going down," pollster John Zogby said.

In the last day of polling on Thursday, Obama's advantage over Clinton, a New York senator who would be the first woman U.S. president, was only 7 percentage points.

EDWARDS CLIMBS AGAIN

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who won South Carolina during his failed 2004 presidential bid, has climbed steadily each day of the poll. He started at 15 percent and is now at 21 percent.

Edwards held a slight lead over Clinton among likely white voters at 36 percent to 33 percent. Obama had 18 percent.

"Edwards is in a battle for second place," Zogby said. "He's getting the lion's share of the undecideds."

The number of likely Democratic voters who said they were uncertain of their choice dropped two points to 11 percent, a still sizable figure one day before the voting.

South Carolina is the next test in the back-and-forth battle for the Democratic nomination. Obama won the first contest in Iowa but Clinton won the next two in New Hampshire and Nevada.

Obama has offered pointed criticism of not only Clinton but also her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who has criticized Obama and called the idea of his consistent opposition to the Iraq war "a fairy tale."

But the attacks have not dimmed admiration for Bill Clinton among the party faithful, with 75 percent saying they had a favorable view of him and only 20 percent holding an unfavorable view.

The rolling poll of 811 likely Democratic voters in South Carolina was taken Tuesday through Thursday. In a rolling poll, the most recent day's results are added while the oldest day's results are dropped in order to track changing momentum.

(Editing by Jackie Frank)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080125/...tics_poll_dc_4


Mrs. Obama swings back at Clintons
Primary Saturday; Candidate's wife slams tactics of 'win at all costs'

Sheldon Alberts, Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, January 25, 2008

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Obama dips, but still has South Carolina lead

Clinton, McCain win New York Times endorsements

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Max Whittaker/ReutersMichelle Obama, seen here with her husband Barack, criticized Bill and Hillary Clinton earlier this week.
KINGSTREE, S.C. - It began as a spitting match between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over honesty and integrity.

But the war of words between the two leading Democratic presidential candidates exploded into a full-blown family feud yesterday as Mr. Obama's wife, Michelle, accused Bill and Hillary Clinton of waging a "win-at-all-costs" smear campaign against her husband before South Carolina's presidential primary on Saturday.

"We knew getting into this race that Barack would be competing with Senator Clinton and President Clinton at the same time," Ms. Obama said in a fundraising e-mail to supporters.

"What we didn't expect, at least not from our fellow Democrats, are the win-at-all-costs tactics we've seen recently. We didn't expect misleading accusations that willfully distort Barack's record."

Her broadside came as Mr. Obama warned African-Americans not to be "hoodwinked" by thousands of anonymous e-mails sent recently to South Carolina voters alleging he is a Muslim who refuses to pledge allegiance to the American flag.

"Don't let them bamboozle you with these dirty tricks," the Illinois Senator told a mostly black audience of 1,000 people at a campaign rally here.

"Don't let people make you afraid. Don't let people feed your doubts."

The tenor of the Democratic presidential campaign has been deteriorating steadily since the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 8, when Mr. Clinton called Mr. Obama's opposition to the war in Iraq a "fairy tale" and there were heated exchanges over Martin Luther King's civil rights legacy.

Now, the contest has turned nasty. In a debate Monday in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Ms. Clinton alleged Mr. Obama had accepted money from a "slum landlord" now facing fraud charges in Chicago.

"We're in a very heated campaign, and people are coming out and saying all kinds of things," she told The Associated Press. "Talking about people's records? Talking about what they do in the campaign? That's fair game. That's what we do in America."

The Obama campaign struck back yesterday.

In radio ads airing across the state, Mr. Obama says the former first lady will "say anything" to get elected president.

At a news conference after his rally in Kingstree, he defended the ad, saying the Clinton campaign had distorted his recent comment that the Republicans were the "party of ideas" in the 1990s.

"When you run an ad making assertions that everybody who has looked at says are wrong ... then that would indicate you are not that concerned about accuracy or the truth," he said.

The Clintons have been campaigning in South Carolina as a tag team, with the former president supplementing his wife's schedule with three rallies a day of his own.

This week, Mr. Clinton accused Mr. Obama of "feeding" the media stories intended to stoke racial issues in the state, where a majority of Democratic voters are black.

A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released yesterday showed Mr. Obama leading with 39%, with Ms. Clinton second with 24%. But his lead has slipped in recent days, prompting speculation the Clintons' criticisms have had some effect.

The increasing negativity of the campaign has alarmed longtime Democratic activists and lawmakers, who fear the acrimony will harm the party in the general election this fall.

Senator Ted Kennedy and Representative Rahm Emanuel, two senior Democrats who have remained neutral, were reportedly so concerned they asked Mr. Clinton to stop attacking Mr. Obama.

"I never underestimated them," Mr. Obama said yesterday of the Clintons.

"The Clinton operation is a tough, well-honed political machine, built up over the course of 20 years. And, we have always been the underdogs in this campaign."

While he is battling with the Clintons, he is also fighting a rearguard action against unknown opponents. This week, he established a "truth squad" to combat anonymous e-mails questioning his religion and patriotism.

"I'll bet that some folks have heard the e-mails sent out that I am a Muslim. Now, I have been a member of the same church, a Christian church, praying to Jesus Christ -- 20 years, the same church," he said in Kingstree.

"They say, 'Oh, he doesn't pledge allegiance to the flag.' I have been pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America since I was three years old, since I could talk."

Mr. Obama belongs to the United Church of Christ in Chicago. His campaign has been distributing pamphlets titled "Committed Christian" and show him speaking at a church pulpit, with a white cross displayed prominently in the background.

Close

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/wor...html?id=261504

Go Obama!! And that's what I've been saying the Clintons will say anything to get back in the White House. Barack's wife hit it head on she is so right! You take South Carolina Barack and then the other states! Then you take that Democratic Nomination! Then you become the next president as well as America's first black president and no Bill Clinton doesn't count! Obama! Obama! Obama!

Go Obama

But If he doesn't get it I could see myself voting for Hilary or Edwards

^Yeah me too especially over McCain

I cannot take this thread seriously sense you clearly said you are sexist

^Yeah and I'm still sorry for that I shouldn't have said what I said because she could make a great president. Heck if she does win the democratic nomination over Obama I won't cry and heck I'll vote for her if she does win the democratic nomination I'll vote for her because God knows I don't want John McCain to win because he is just as bad if not worse than Bush. Yes I know I said I was sexist before but let me put it this way I've had a change of heart.

eh i think i will always favor Hillary more

but i agree both would be good presidents

and i dont care which of the 2 wins (hopefully) as long as they beat the Republicans

I don't like how Obama's voice projects. Anyone feelin me here?

Anyways, on the brighter side. Go Democrats!

I like both Barack and Hilary, no matter what their natural plumbing and/or paint jobs are. : ] (If you catch my drift.)

^Wouldn't you agree that either one would be a better choice than John McCain ?

^ HELL YEA!!!

&& its nice to see that you had a change of <3

mmm.. there's at least a 5% margin of error so obama's still holding strong
edwards may come up and SMACK HIM IN THE FACE though

New York Times picks Hillary Clinton

This generally is the stage of a campaign when Democrats have to work hard to get excited about whichever candidate seems most likely to outlast an uninspiring pack. That is not remotely the case this year.

The early primaries produced two powerful main contenders: Hillary Clinton, the brilliant if at times harsh-sounding senator from New York; and Barack Obama, the incandescent if still undefined senator from Illinois. The remaining long shot, John Edwards, has enlivened the race with his own brand of raw populism.

As Democrats look ahead to the primaries in the biggest states on Feb. 5, The Times’s editorial board strongly recommends that they select Hillary Clinton as their nominee for the 2008 presidential election.

We have enjoyed hearing Mr. Edwards’s fiery oratory, but we cannot support his candidacy. The former senator from North Carolina has repudiated so many of his earlier positions, so many of his Senate votes, that we’re not sure where he stands. We certainly don’t buy the notion that he can hold back the tide of globalization.

By choosing Mrs. Clinton, we are not denying Mr. Obama’s appeal or his gifts. The idea of the first African-American nominee of a major party also is exhilarating, and so is the prospect of the first woman nominee. “Firstness” is not a reason to choose. The times that false choice has been raised, more often by Mrs. Clinton, have tarnished the campaign.

Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton would both help restore America’s global image, to which President Bush has done so much grievous harm. They are committed to changing America’s role in the world, not just its image.

On the major issues, there is no real gulf separating the two. They promise an end to the war in Iraq, more equitable taxation, more effective government spending, more concern for social issues, a restoration of civil liberties and an end to the politics of division of George W. Bush and Karl Rove.

Mr. Obama has built an exciting campaign around the notion of change, but holds no monopoly on ideas that would repair the governing of America. Mrs. Clinton sometimes overstates the importance of résumé. Hearing her talk about the presidency, her policies and answers for America’s big problems, we are hugely impressed by the depth of her knowledge, by the force of her intellect and by the breadth of, yes, her experience.

It is unfair, especially after seven years of Mr. Bush’s inept leadership, but any Democrat will face tougher questioning about his or her fitness to be commander in chief. Mrs. Clinton has more than cleared that bar, using her years in the Senate well to immerse herself in national security issues, and has won the respect of world leaders and many in the American military. She would be a strong commander in chief.

Domestically, Mrs. Clinton has tackled complex policy issues, sometimes failing. She has shown a willingness to learn and change. Her current proposals on health insurance reflect a clear shift from her first, famously disastrous foray into the issue. She has learned that powerful interests cannot simply be left out of the meetings. She understands that all Americans must be covered — but must be allowed to choose their coverage, including keeping their current plans. Mr. Obama may also be capable of tackling such issues, but we have not yet seen it. Voters have to judge candidates not just on the promise they hold, but also on the here and now.

The sense of possibility, of a generational shift, rouses Mr. Obama’s audiences and not just through rhetorical flourishes. He shows voters that he understands how much they hunger for a break with the Bush years, for leadership and vision and true bipartisanship. We hunger for that, too. But we need more specifics to go with his amorphous promise of a new governing majority, a clearer sense of how he would govern.

The potential upside of a great Obama presidency is enticing, but this country faces huge problems, and will no doubt be facing more that we can’t foresee. The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions, resolve, and the ability to make government work. Mrs. Clinton is more qualified, right now, to be president.

We opposed President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq and we disagree with Mrs. Clinton’s vote for the resolution on the use of force. That’s not the issue now; it is how the war will be ended. Mrs. Clinton seems not only more aware than Mr. Obama of the consequences of withdrawal, but is already thinking through the diplomatic and military steps that will be required to contain Iraq’s chaos after American troops leave.

On domestic policy, both candidates would turn the government onto roughly the same course — shifting resources to help low-income and middle-class Americans, and broadening health coverage dramatically. Mrs. Clinton also has good ideas about fixing the dysfunction in Mr. Bush’s No Child Left Behind education program.

Mr. Obama talks more about the damage Mr. Bush has done to civil liberties, the rule of law and the balance of powers. Mrs. Clinton is equally dedicated to those issues, and more prepared for the Herculean task of figuring out exactly where, how and how often the government’s powers have been misused — and what must now be done to set things right.

As strongly as we back her candidacy, we urge Mrs. Clinton to take the lead in changing the tone of the campaign. It is not good for the country, the Democratic Party or for Mrs. Clinton, who is often tagged as divisive, in part because of bitter feeling about her husband’s administration and the so-called permanent campaign. (Indeed, Bill Clinton’s overheated comments are feeding those resentments, and could do long-term damage to her candidacy if he continues this way.)

We know that she is capable of both uniting and leading. We saw her going town by town through New York in 2000, including places where Clinton-bashing was a popular sport. She won over skeptical voters and then delivered on her promises and handily won re-election in 2006.

Mrs. Clinton must now do the same job with a broad range of America’s voters. She will have to let Americans see her power to listen and lead, but she won’t be able to do it town by town.

When we endorsed Mrs. Clinton in 2006, we were certain she would continue to be a great senator, but since her higher ambitions were evident, we wondered if she could present herself as a leader to the nation.

Her ideas, her comeback in New Hampshire and strong showing in Nevada, her new openness to explaining herself and not just her programs, and her abiding, powerful intellect show she is fully capable of doing just that. She is the best choice for the Democratic Party as it tries to regain the White House.

Obama has South Carolina lead; McCain up in Florida: poll By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
Sat Jan 26, 1:35 AM ET



COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama expanded his lead on rival Hillary Clinton to 15 points heading into South Carolina's bitterly contested presidential primary, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Saturday.

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Obama, an Illinois senator, gained two points on Clinton overnight to lead 41 percent to 26 percent just hours before voting began in Saturday's primary. John Edwards was in third place after slipping two points to 19 percent.

In Florida, where Republican presidential contenders meet in a critical primary on Tuesday, John McCain had a narrow 3-point advantage on rival Mitt Romney, 31 percent to 28 percent, in the state's initial rolling poll.

The polls in both states had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

Obama has led Clinton by double-digits in all four days of polls in South Carolina, fueled by a huge advantage among the black voters who are expected to make up about half of the electorate in the first Democratic primary in the South.

Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, was favored by 62 percent of black voters, with Clinton at 18 percent and Edwards at 5 percent.

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who won the state during his failed 2004 White House run, and Clinton, a New York senator, were tied among white voters at 35 percent each. Obama was at 19 percent.

"Obama holds solid leads in every section of the state, and among both men and women," pollster John Zogby said.

Clinton and Obama have clashed fiercely during the last week over their records in an increasingly rancorous duel for the right to represent the Democratic Party in November's election.

South Carolina is the next test in their back-and-forth battle for the Democratic nomination. Obama won the first contest in Iowa but Clinton won the next two in New Hampshire and Nevada.

While Obama spent the week in the state campaigning, Clinton left for two days and will be gone again when the results are announced. About 10 percent of Democratic voters remain undecided.

McCAIN VS. ROMNEY

Florida's Republican primary matches McCain, an Arizona senator, with Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, after they split two contests last week -- McCain won South Carolina's Republican primary and Romney won in Michigan.

The winner in Florida will gain valuable momentum heading into the February 5 "Super Tuesday" voting, when 22 states will have either Republican or Democratic nominating contests.

Trailing the top two Republican contenders was former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who once led national polls in the race but has seen his standing plummet as he bypassed the early voting states to concentrate on Florida.

Giuliani was in third place at 15 percent, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the winner in Iowa, at 10 percent. Texas Rep. Ron Paul had 5 percent.

Romney led easily among those voters who identified themselves as "very" conservative, while McCain held a 2-to-1 edge among moderates.

Religious conservatives fueled the Iowa win by Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, but he trails both McCain and Romney in Florida among those who call themselves "born again."

Nine percent of Republican voters in Florida remain undecided.

"It's very close," Zogby said. "With nearly one in every 10 Republicans undecided, there is still a long way to go in this one."

The poll in Florida, as in South Carolina, showed the economy was the top issue among likely voters, at 38 percent. In Florida, the war on terrorism ranked second at 14 percent, ahead of the war in Iraq at 12 percent.

Democrats also will hold a primary in Florida, but because of a dispute between the state and national parties over the date of the contest none of the presidential contenders have campaigned there.

The rolling poll of 816 likely Democratic voters in South Carolina was taken Thursday and Friday. The Florida poll of 814 likely Republican voters was taken Wednesday through Friday.

In a rolling poll, the most recent day's results are added while the oldest day's results are dropped in order to track changing momentum.

(Editing by Jackie Frank)

(For more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080126/...tics_poll_dc_1

That's my dawg! If these projected results are true I'll be so happy because that means it's a competition again and Barack could end up pushing himself after this to win the Democratic nomination or have it locked up by Feb 5th!

As for Florida that's disgusting that McCain is ahead of Romney but at least it's only 3 points who the **** in the right mind votes for that old man anyways?

Obama runs away with SC primary By DAVID ESPO and CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writers
2 minutes ago



COLUMBIA, S.C. - Barack Obama routed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the racially-charged South Carolina primary Saturday night, regaining campaign momentum in the prelude to a Feb. 5 coast-to-coast competition for more than 1,600 Democratic National Convention delegates.

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Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina was running third, a sharp setback in the state where he was born and scored a primary victory in his first presidential campaign four years ago.

The Associated Press made its call based on surveys of voters as they left the polls.

About half the voters were black, according to polling place interviews, and four out of five of them supported Obama. Black women turned out in particularly large numbers. Obama, the first-term Illinois senator, got a quarter of the white vote while Clinton and Edwards split the rest.

The victory was Obama's first since he won the kick-off Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, scored an upset in the New Hampshire primary a few days later. They split the Nevada caucuses, she winning the turnout race, he gaining a one-delegate margin. In a historic race, she hopes to become the first woman to occupy the White House, and Obama is the strongest black contender in history.

The South Carolina primary marked the end of the first phase of the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, a series of single-state contests that winnowed the field, conferred co-front-runner status on Clinton and Obama but had relatively few delegates at stake.

That all changes in 10 days' time, when New York, Illinois and California are among the 15 states holding primaries in a virtual nationwide primary. Another seven states and American Samoa will hold Democratic caucuses on the same day.

All three contenders campaigned in South Carolina on primary day, but only Obama and Edwards arranged to speak to supporters after the polls closed. Clinton decided to fly to Tennessee, one of the Feb. 5 states, leaving as the polls were closing.

After playing a muted role in the earlier contests, the issue of race dominated an incendiary week that included a shift in strategy for Obama, a remarkably bitter debate and fresh scrutiny of the former president's role in his wife's campaign.

Each side accused the other of playing the race card, sparking a controversy that frequently involved Bill Clinton.

"They are getting votes, to be sure, because of their race or gender. That's why people tell me Hillary doesn't have a chance of winning here," former President Clinton said at one stop as he campaigned for his wife, strongly suggesting that blacks would not support a white alternative to Obama.

Clinton campaign strategists denied any intentional effort to stir the racial debate. But they said they believe the fallout has had the effect of branding Obama as "the black candidate," a tag that could hurt him outside the South.

Nearly six in 10 voters said the former president's efforts for his wife was important to their choice, and among them, slightly more favored Obama than the former first lady.

Overall, Obama defeated Clinton among both men and women.

The exit polls showed the economy was the most important issue in the race. About one quarter picked health care. And only one in five said it was the war in Iraq, underscoring the extent to which the once-dominant issue has faded in the face of financial concerns.

The exit poll was conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for The Associated Press and the networks.

Clinton and Obama swapped accusatory radio commercials earlier in the week.

The former first lady aired an ad saying Obama had once approved of Republican ideas. His camp responded quickly that Clinton "will say anything." First she, then he, pulled the commercials after a short run on the air.

Given the bickering, Edwards looked for an opening to reinvigorate a candidacy all but eclipsed by the historic campaign between Obama and Clinton. He went on the "Late Show with David Letterman" at midweek to say he wanted to represent the "grown-up wing of the Democratic party."

That was one night after a finger-wagging debate in which Obama told Clinton he was helping unemployed workers on the streets of Chicago when "you were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart."

Moments later, the former first lady said she was fighting against misguided Republican policies "when you were practicing law and representing your contributor ... in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago."

___

Associated Press writers Beth Fouhy, Seanna Adcox and Mike Baker in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/south_carolina_primary

Obama!!! I'm about to party!!

Congrats Obama...
You're lucky SC has a lot of blacks!!!

I'm definitely not a racist/sexist in any way, but I highly doubt the next president will be Democrat if Obama or Clinton get the ticket. There are too many conservative Americans out there that would rather be safe and pick a white male. Fact.

Obama wins in SC, regaining momentum By DAVID ESPO and CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writers
1 hour, 45 minutes ago



COLUMBIA, S.C. - Barack Obama routed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the racially charged South Carolina primary Saturday night, regaining campaign momentum in the prelude to a Feb. 5 coast-to-coast competition for more than 1,600 Democratic National Convention delegates.

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"The choice in this election is not about regions or religions or genders," Obama said at a boisterous victory rally. "It's not about rich versus poor, young versus old and it's not about black versus white. It's about the past versus the future."

The audience chanted "Race doesn't matter" as it awaited Obama to make his appearance after rolling up 55 percent of the vote in a three-way race.

But it did, in a primary that shattered turnout records.

About half the voters were black, according to polling place interviews, and four out of five of them supported Obama. Black women turned out in particularly large numbers. Obama, the first-term Illinois senator, got about a quarter of the white vote while Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina split the rest.

Clinton flew to Nashville as the polls closed, and looked ahead. "Now the eyes of the country turn to Tennessee and the other states voting on Feb. 5," she said, adding "millions and millions of Americans are going to have their voices heard."

Edwards finished a distant third, a sharp setback in the state where he was born and scored a primary victory in his first presidential campaign four years ago. Even so, he vowed to remain in the race, his goal, he said, to "give voice to all those whose voices aren't being heard."

The victory was Obama's first since he won the kickoff Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, scored an upset in the New Hampshire primary a few days later. They split the Nevada caucuses, she winning the turnout race, he gaining a one-delegate margin. In an historic race, she hopes to become the first woman to occupy the White House, and Obama is the strongest black contender in history.

The South Carolina primary marked the end of the first phase of the campaign for the Democratic nomination, a series of single-state contests that winnowed the field, conferred co-front-runner status on Clinton and Obama but had relatively few delegates at stake.

That all changes in 10 days' time, when New York, Illinois and California are among the 15 states holding primaries in a virtual nationwide primary. Another seven states and American Samoa will hold Democratic caucuses on the same day.

Obama took a thinly veiled swipe at Clinton in his remarks.

"We are up against conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as president comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White House. But we know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose — a higher purpose," Obama said.

Looking ahead to Feb. 5, he added that "nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again."

Nearly complete returns showed Obama winning 55 percent of the vote, Clinton gaining 27 percent. Edwards had 18 percent and won only his home county of Oconee.

Obama also gained 25 convention delegates, Clinton won 12 and Edwards eight.

Overall, Clinton has 249 delegates, followed by Obama with 167 and Edwards with 58.

Obama also gained an endorsement from Caroline Kennedy, who likened the Illinois senator to her late father, President John F. Kennedy.

"I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them," she wrote on The New York Times op-ed page. "But for the first time, I believe I have found a man who could be that president — and not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans."

All three contenders campaigned in South Carolina on primary day, but only Obama and Edwards arranged to speak to supporters after the polls closed. Clinton left for Tennessee as the polls were closing. After playing a muted role in the earlier contests, the issue of race dominated an incendiary week that included a shift in strategy for Obama, a remarkably bitter debate and fresh scrutiny of former President Clinton's role in his wife's campaign.

Each side accused the other of playing the race card, sparking a controversy that frequently involved Bill Clinton.

"They are getting votes, to be sure, because of their race or gender. That's why people tell me Hillary doesn't have a chance of winning here," the former president said at one stop as he campaigned for his wife, strongly suggesting that blacks would not support a white alternative to Obama.

Clinton campaign strategists denied any intentional effort to stir the racial debate. But they said they believe the fallout has had the effect of branding Obama as "the black candidate," a tag that could hurt him outside the South.

Nearly six in 10 voters said the former president's efforts for his wife was important to their choice, and among them, slightly more favored Obama than the former first lady.

Overall, Obama defeated Clinton among both men and women.

The exit polls showed the economy was the most important issue in the race. About one quarter picked health care. And only one in five said it was the war in Iraq, underscoring the extent to which the once-dominant issue has faded in the face of financial concerns.

The exit poll was conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for The Associated Press and the networks.

___

Associated Press writers Beth Fouhy, Seanna Adcox and Mike Baker in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/south_carolina_primary

Obama's Rout Rejiggers the Race By KAREN TUMULTY
Sat Jan 26, 9:50 AM ET



There was only way to describe Barack Obama's victory over Hillary Clinton and John Edwards in South Carolina: It was a rout. "After four great contests in every corner of this country, we have the most votes, the most delegates, and the most diverse coalition of Americans that we've seen in a long, long time," Obama declared at his victory celebration in Columbia. "There are young and old; rich and poor. They are black and white; Latino and Asian and Native American. They are Democrats from Des Moines and Independents from Concord, and yes, some Republicans from rural Nevada and we've got young people from all across this country who've never had a reason to participate until now."

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Obama's impressive win meant all the more given the nature of politics in South Carolina, a state whose history is fraught with race and class. Some observers wondered if the state's voters were becoming more racially polarized in the final days before the primary. That speculation was fueled by one late McClatchy/MSNBC survey that suggested Obama could expect to receive no more than 10% of the white vote, half of what the same poll had shown only a week before. But Obama instead won about a quarter of the white vote overall, and around half of young white voters, on his way to a commanding 55% of the total vote (Clinton finished second with roughly 27% and Edwards came in third with 18%). The excitement around Obama's candidacy pushed turnout to record levels - a kind of surge, says Obama strategist Cornell Belcher, that "is something only Barack Obama is capable of bringing to the table."


It is a powerful message for the Illinois Senator to take into the Super Tuesday round of primaries on February 5. "In nine days-nine short days - nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again," Obama declared. His South Carolina victory will be topped by an endorsement by Caroline Kennedy, in a Sunday New York Times op-ed headlined: "A President Like My Father." The move will serve as a powerful, symbolic counter to the most visible surrogate in this race, Bill Clinton - the boy whose own political awakening famously came when he shook JFK's hand as a 16-year-old as part of an American Legion Boy's Nation visit to the nation's capital.


Still, the sobering reality for the Obama campaign is that Clinton's massive organization will present a formidable challenge in the 20-plus states that will be voting on February 5. Clinton, knowing that bad news was coming, didn't even hold a final rally for her supporters in South Carolina; shortly after the polls closed, her campaign plane was headed for Tennessee. She issued a terse written statement noting that she had called Obama to "wish him well," and adding, "We now turn our attention to the millions of Americans who will make their voices heard in Florida and the twenty-two states as well as American Samoa who will vote on February 5th." Bill Clinton, at a rally in Missouri, added: "Now we go to February 5, when millions of Americans finally get in the act."


The former President was actually the first Clinton to speak in the wake of Obama's triumph Saturday evening, and it only underscored how his outsized, vocal presence on the trail has threatened to overshadow his wife. Earlier in the day, Clinton had churlishly compared Obama's victory to that of Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988, a remark that will likely further fuel disaffection about the Clintons amongst African-American voters. There was evidence that Obama's victory was also a repudiation of the brand of hard-knuckled politics that both Clintons had brought to the South Carolina contest. Exit polls indicated that Bill Clinton's campaigning made a difference to about 6 in 10 South Carolina Democratic primary voters. But of those voters, 47% went for Barack Obama, while only 38% went for Hillary Clinton. Fourteen percent voted for John Edwards. The Obama campaign gleefully noted that in the mostly black precincts that Bill Clinton visted in Greenville, as much as 80% of the vote went to Obama.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/2008012...jiggerstherace

Obama victory decisive
By Robert Behre (Contact)
Saturday, January 26, 2008



Alan Hawes
The Post and Courier

Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, waves to the crowd as he takes the stage with his wife Michelle during a South Carolina primary victory party, in Columbia, S.C. Saturday.
COLUMBIA – The unexpectedly dramatic margin of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s South Carolina win sent ripples of excitement through his supporters Saturday night.

“This is a first-round knockout,” said former S.C. Gov. Jim Hodges, “not only the volume but the margin.”

David Agnew, a Charleston businessman and former aide to Mayor Joe Riley, also was among the supporters who packed into the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center to hear Obama’s acceptance speech. While the win surprised some observers, the Agnew said he sensed a shift in recent weeks. “There was a surge of interest in Barack Obama’s campaign that you wouldn’t expect,” he said.

Former S.C. Secretary of Education Inez Tenenbaum, the first elected official to sign on with Obama’s campaign here also called his performance “a surge.” “He didn’t start at the top down. He started from the bottom up,” she said, referring to the campaign’s decision to recruit volunteers instead of court the traditional power brokers of among the state’s Democratic elite. His win validates that strategy. “I think everyone is going to try to replicate it, duplicate it for years to come,” she said.

Joe Erwin, who endorsed and began campaigning for Obama a few months after he stepped down as chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party, said Obama’s win will re-energize the state’s Democrats. “The excitement is on our side,” he said, adding that some exit polls projected the Democratic turnout would top the 444,090 who voted in the GOP primary last week – a stunner in this beet-red Republican state. “It looks like an overwhelming victory for us. We’re thrilled. We’re humbled, too,” Erwin said.

If Obama becomes the nominee, his large wave of support could put South Carolina in play this November. “It could change the map of American politics,” he said. Hodges agreed: “State and local Democrats always worry about having someone at the top of the ticket who is a drag and not an asset. This is beyond our hopes and expectations.” It also will rejuvenate Democrats on the state and local levels here to recruit a new group of candidates with two months left before the filing period ends for this year’s general elections.

Phil Noble, a Charleston businessman who volunteered extensively with the Obama campaign, expressed optimism as the final voters went to the polls. He had just visited Obama’s Columbia headquarters and reported, “Everybody seems pretty happy. It’s the dull quiet of a well-run operation. Everybody knew what to do and did it. There was no one running around with their head cut off.”

Obama was scheduled to give his victory speech in the spacious hall where he kicked off his South Carolina campaign a year ago just a few days after state Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, made headlines by saying Obama’s nomination as president would doom the entire Democratic ticket. His speech then was peppered with the line, “Yes we can!”While waiting for him to take the crowd Saturday night, the crowd chanted, “Yes he did!”

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/..._one_out_park/

It's absolutely amazing what 1 day and 1 win can do to perhaps change the outcome after this big win the future for Senator Barack Obama looks very bright. He has a good shot to get that democratic nomination now and that speech he gave in South Carolina is just going to bring more undecided voters to vote for him. Not to mention that victory speech he gave in South Carolina was a great speech because he is stressing change needs to be made and he is the president to do that he knows what needs to be done and since he knows and believes he will get it done. Sure he's young but so was JFK and he was a great president who unfortunately got assasinated before he finished his term but there is nothing wrong with a young president because sometimes those are the ones that this country needs especially right now. Not to mention the endorsement from JFK's daughter Caroline is just going to boost Obama higher and higher. Now as for Hilary I think she's alright but obviously I want Obama to beat her because Obama is my boy he's the one who I believe will bring change but Bill really needs to stop screwing up her campaign if he keeps on saying the controversial things he's been saying lately he might just end up screwing out his own wife out of this race. So if I'm Hilary and I want to win I would tell Bill to back off and let me campaign because you are obviously not saying the wrong things. But then again Obama is my boy I believe he is going to bring change like he promises not to mention in his victory speech he did remind me of Martin Luther King and we all know Dr. King brought great change to this country. I'm also proud that he got a quarter of the white vote not to mention he had the most support of white men besides John Edwards in South Carolina as well showing this election isn't one about races he sees no White South Carolina or Black South Carolina he just sees South Carolina. The only other thing I have to say is Obama you are awesome and "yes we can!" As in change can happen like he stressed so don't tell him it can't!