As North Carolina and Indiana precincts continued to report and tally ballots yesterday, the Democratic Party witnessed what may be the end of an extensive primary season and in a vote that may ultimately determine the party's 2008 presidential candidate. With the crushing differential of nearly 15 percentage points, Senator Barack Obama took the North Carolina primary with a commanding 200,000+ vote lead over his opponent, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. As projected, the other populous primary state of Indiana would be the determining factor in either a complete Obama victory or a notable win for Clinton -which would likely allow the senator to keep her slowly deteriorating campaign from finally crumbling to bits. With 99% of precincts reporting, the numbers were calculated and projected amongst every cable news station’s election ‘HUD’ graphic (each of which took up at least half of the entire screen).
Indiana primary results: (from The Economist)
Clinton: 50.9%
Obama: 49.1%
This projection seems to be the most mathematically sound projection of the NC and IN results.
With a ‘Hoosiers’-esque reaction to these numbers, myself and surrounding informed persons rejoiced in a fit of not only happiness but relief as well. Relief in the sense that the primaries may be over, and the Democratic Party can finally focus on more pertinent aspects of the actual presidential race. But that relief soon gives way to more malignant and worrisome general election concerns. After Tuesday’s primaries, Senator Obama is now very likely to be named the Democratic presidential candidate , but how Hillary Clinton chooses to lose the race- or bow-out , to euphemise her situation - will determine the party’s immediate strength in the months leading up to November. Already the protracted primaries have been a detriment not only to the Democratic Party, but the party’s presumptive candidates’ image as well. If Senator Clinton decides to concede honorably, she will remove herself as cleanly as possible from the primary race. She must then continually support her former opponent. In doing so, not only will Clinton manage to save face, but the party, as a whole, will benefit.
The period of intra-party separation is over, and now it is time to refocus all efforts on successfully enlightening the country and taking the presidency. This can only be done through a united democratic effort that can stop a traditionalist and xenophobic opposition in the form of John McCain.
Indiana primary results: (from The Economist)
Clinton: 50.9%
Obama: 49.1%
This projection seems to be the most mathematically sound projection of the NC and IN results.
With a ‘Hoosiers’-esque reaction to these numbers, myself and surrounding informed persons rejoiced in a fit of not only happiness but relief as well. Relief in the sense that the primaries may be over, and the Democratic Party can finally focus on more pertinent aspects of the actual presidential race. But that relief soon gives way to more malignant and worrisome general election concerns. After Tuesday’s primaries, Senator Obama is now very likely to be named the Democratic presidential candidate , but how Hillary Clinton chooses to lose the race- or bow-out , to euphemise her situation - will determine the party’s immediate strength in the months leading up to November. Already the protracted primaries have been a detriment not only to the Democratic Party, but the party’s presumptive candidates’ image as well. If Senator Clinton decides to concede honorably, she will remove herself as cleanly as possible from the primary race. She must then continually support her former opponent. In doing so, not only will Clinton manage to save face, but the party, as a whole, will benefit.
The period of intra-party separation is over, and now it is time to refocus all efforts on successfully enlightening the country and taking the presidency. This can only be done through a united democratic effort that can stop a traditionalist and xenophobic opposition in the form of John McCain.
0 responses:
Post a Comment