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Following Obama’s Chesapeake sweep: Obama, Clinton look to the next primaries
Last Updated Feb 2008
By Zenitha Prince
Washington Bureau Chief
Washington, D.C. (February 13, 2008)-- Buoyed on the winds of eight consecutive victories, including a sweep of the Chesapeake Primaries, Sen. Barack Obama heads into a fast approaching “mini Super Tuesday” with a slim lead in the number of pledged delegates in his corner.
The senator will face his biggest challenge yet come March 4 when he and Clinton go head-to-head in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.
With 444 delegates—370 pledged and 74 unpledged—up for grabs, these primaries could be the deciding factor in this race. It’s a must-win for Clinton, analysts say, in order to offset the smaller victories Obama has made along the way.
“….when African Americans are a large part of the electorate, Whites probably feel more threatened…”
“I don’t know that he can win (Ohio and Texas) but if he does,” political analyst Larry Sabato said. “I think it’s over for Clinton.”
The Illinois senator handily trounced his opponent, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, in Maryland, Virginia and Washington primaries Tuesday, putting him ahead of the former first lady by 1,195 to 1,178 delegates, according to CNN estimates.
At a victory celebration in Baltimore Tuesday night, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Chairman of Obama’s Maryland campaign, praised Obama’s supporters and volunteers for their decisive win.
“I don’t want people to just feel good about the senator,” said Cummings, one of Obama’s earliest supporters. “I want you to feel good about yourself for what you have accomplished.
“This campaign is the audacity of hope. Obama will be the next president of the United States.”
In this evenly matched slug fest that seems destined to meet its end at the Democratic National Convention in August, however, Obama can hardly afford a lull.
So far, the prospects seem to favor Clinton in the upcoming contests. In Ohio, the senator has an edge among the White working class, while Obama will be helped by the thousands of students attending more than 100 colleges and universities across the state. But in the Lone Star state, Clinton’s advantage seems clearer.
“Clinton starts out there with a big lead,” Sabato said.
The trend is partly influenced by southern politics in which race usually plays a part.
“Race has always been a basic divider in American politics,” Sabato said.
“Let’s face it, when African Americans are a large part of the electorate, Whites probably feel more threatened and they are less likely to vote for an African American.”
But the real racial story here is the separation between Blacks and Hispanics, he said.
Obama, who would become the first African-American president, has not done so well among Latinos and Clinton is expected to pick up those voters, who make up nearly 25 percent of the Texas electorate. African Americans, however, who make up about 21 percent of the vote in Texas, tend to favor Obama.
“I’ve been surprised by the Brown-Black divide in this elections,” Sabato said. “It’s been more apparent than the Black-White divide.”
With a waning campaign chest, Clinton eschewed the Chesapeake Primaries, where Obama was expected to win. Instead, she focused her attention on what her campaign on March 4.
Obama supporters say the senator shouldn’t be too sure of herself, though. The more the candidate wins, and the more people get to know their candidate, the more they want to join his campaign, they said.
“This election gives us tremendous momentum,” Cummings said. “Senator Clinton says wait until I get to Texas, well we’ll be in Texas too.”
Candice Tolliver, an Obama campaign spokeswoman, said they have already set up more than a dozen offices in Texas.
“A lot of time has been invested in Texas and Ohio,” she said. “We understand we have a lot of work to do, and we’re not taking any votes for granted.”
The campaign’s biggest handicap, Tolliver said, is name recognition. To counter that problem, the campaign has launched Spanish and English ads and has deployed hundreds of volunteers to canvass the states.
“You have two candidates under the Clinton banner, Senator Clinton and a de facto candidate, former President Clinton, who people already recognize,” Toliver said. “So it’s a matter of bridging the familiarity gap.”
Maryland volunteers say the on-the-ground campaign will work just as well in other states as it did here.
“A lot of people were skeptical about voting for him in the beginning, but as he keeps winning, this changes their minds,” Johns Hopkins student Samantha Buyniski, 21, of Cincinnati, said at Tuesday’s Baltimore celebration.
“My friends were originally Hillary supporters. They didn’t think he could win. Some of them now are supporting Obama.”
Before Obama and Clinton meet in Ohio and Texas, they will compete in the Feb. 19 primaries in Wisconsin and Hawaii, where he is expected to prevail.
“In Wisconsin, Hillary Clinton hard a nine point lead in the last poll, but that was taken before Obama’s big wins over the weekend and [on Tuesday,]” Sabato said. “There’s a progressive tradition in Wisconsin. So I think he has the edge. And young, college students have been very active for Obama and the Madison, University of Wisconsin area is very dominant in Wisconsin politics.”
Back in Maryland, Obama supporters were still reveling in their moment.
“I am very happy,” said Ben Jarso, 18, a Gilman High School student and Obama volunteer. “It’s comforting to see all your hard works come through.
Voters too were excited about their role in what has been a highly dramatic and historic race. Many braved biting rain and ice to cast their ballots. Virginia officials reported a 130 percent increase in voter turnout compared to the 2004 primaries. In Washington, some polling places ran out of ballots; and in Maryland, officials projected a 39 percent voter turn out, one of the highest primary numbers in years.
"I have been living in Prince George's County for a long time,” said Lena Madison, a 31-year resident of the Maryland suburb. “I never thought that I would live to see the day that I would be able to vote for a Black man that might be president."
Cummings said voters in the area, like those elsewhere, supported Obama because of what he represents.
“It’s not just a campaign for the presidency of the United States,” he said. “It’s a movement to change the country, to change this world. This is an historical moment.
“In the future, they will not be able to write the history books of this country without mentioning the name of Barack Hussein Obama.”
James Wright contributed to this story
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Following Obama’s Chesapeake sweep: Obama, Clinton look to the next primaries
Last Updated Feb 2008
By Zenitha Prince
Washington Bureau Chief
Washington, D.C. (February 13, 2008)-- Buoyed on the winds of eight consecutive victories, including a sweep of the Chesapeake Primaries, Sen. Barack Obama heads into a fast approaching “mini Super Tuesday” with a slim lead in the number of pledged delegates in his corner.
The senator will face his biggest challenge yet come March 4 when he and Clinton go head-to-head in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.
With 444 delegates—370 pledged and 74 unpledged—up for grabs, these primaries could be the deciding factor in this race. It’s a must-win for Clinton, analysts say, in order to offset the smaller victories Obama has made along the way.
“….when African Americans are a large part of the electorate, Whites probably feel more threatened…”
“I don’t know that he can win (Ohio and Texas) but if he does,” political analyst Larry Sabato said. “I think it’s over for Clinton.”
The Illinois senator handily trounced his opponent, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, in Maryland, Virginia and Washington primaries Tuesday, putting him ahead of the former first lady by 1,195 to 1,178 delegates, according to CNN estimates.
At a victory celebration in Baltimore Tuesday night, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Chairman of Obama’s Maryland campaign, praised Obama’s supporters and volunteers for their decisive win.
“I don’t want people to just feel good about the senator,” said Cummings, one of Obama’s earliest supporters. “I want you to feel good about yourself for what you have accomplished.
“This campaign is the audacity of hope. Obama will be the next president of the United States.”
In this evenly matched slug fest that seems destined to meet its end at the Democratic National Convention in August, however, Obama can hardly afford a lull.
So far, the prospects seem to favor Clinton in the upcoming contests. In Ohio, the senator has an edge among the White working class, while Obama will be helped by the thousands of students attending more than 100 colleges and universities across the state. But in the Lone Star state, Clinton’s advantage seems clearer.
“Clinton starts out there with a big lead,” Sabato said.
The trend is partly influenced by southern politics in which race usually plays a part.
“Race has always been a basic divider in American politics,” Sabato said.
“Let’s face it, when African Americans are a large part of the electorate, Whites probably feel more threatened and they are less likely to vote for an African American.”
But the real racial story here is the separation between Blacks and Hispanics, he said.
Obama, who would become the first African-American president, has not done so well among Latinos and Clinton is expected to pick up those voters, who make up nearly 25 percent of the Texas electorate. African Americans, however, who make up about 21 percent of the vote in Texas, tend to favor Obama.
“I’ve been surprised by the Brown-Black divide in this elections,” Sabato said. “It’s been more apparent than the Black-White divide.”
With a waning campaign chest, Clinton eschewed the Chesapeake Primaries, where Obama was expected to win. Instead, she focused her attention on what her campaign on March 4.
Obama supporters say the senator shouldn’t be too sure of herself, though. The more the candidate wins, and the more people get to know their candidate, the more they want to join his campaign, they said.
“This election gives us tremendous momentum,” Cummings said. “Senator Clinton says wait until I get to Texas, well we’ll be in Texas too.”
Candice Tolliver, an Obama campaign spokeswoman, said they have already set up more than a dozen offices in Texas.
“A lot of time has been invested in Texas and Ohio,” she said. “We understand we have a lot of work to do, and we’re not taking any votes for granted.”
The campaign’s biggest handicap, Tolliver said, is name recognition. To counter that problem, the campaign has launched Spanish and English ads and has deployed hundreds of volunteers to canvass the states.
“You have two candidates under the Clinton banner, Senator Clinton and a de facto candidate, former President Clinton, who people already recognize,” Toliver said. “So it’s a matter of bridging the familiarity gap.”
Maryland volunteers say the on-the-ground campaign will work just as well in other states as it did here.
“A lot of people were skeptical about voting for him in the beginning, but as he keeps winning, this changes their minds,” Johns Hopkins student Samantha Buyniski, 21, of Cincinnati, said at Tuesday’s Baltimore celebration.
“My friends were originally Hillary supporters. They didn’t think he could win. Some of them now are supporting Obama.”
Before Obama and Clinton meet in Ohio and Texas, they will compete in the Feb. 19 primaries in Wisconsin and Hawaii, where he is expected to prevail.
“In Wisconsin, Hillary Clinton hard a nine point lead in the last poll, but that was taken before Obama’s big wins over the weekend and [on Tuesday,]” Sabato said. “There’s a progressive tradition in Wisconsin. So I think he has the edge. And young, college students have been very active for Obama and the Madison, University of Wisconsin area is very dominant in Wisconsin politics.”
Back in Maryland, Obama supporters were still reveling in their moment.
“I am very happy,” said Ben Jarso, 18, a Gilman High School student and Obama volunteer. “It’s comforting to see all your hard works come through.
Voters too were excited about their role in what has been a highly dramatic and historic race. Many braved biting rain and ice to cast their ballots. Virginia officials reported a 130 percent increase in voter turnout compared to the 2004 primaries. In Washington, some polling places ran out of ballots; and in Maryland, officials projected a 39 percent voter turn out, one of the highest primary numbers in years.
"I have been living in Prince George's County for a long time,” said Lena Madison, a 31-year resident of the Maryland suburb. “I never thought that I would live to see the day that I would be able to vote for a Black man that might be president."
Cummings said voters in the area, like those elsewhere, supported Obama because of what he represents.
“It’s not just a campaign for the presidency of the United States,” he said. “It’s a movement to change the country, to change this world. This is an historical moment.
“In the future, they will not be able to write the history books of this country without mentioning the name of Barack Hussein Obama.”
James Wright contributed to this story
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U Street Washington D.C. November 4, 2008
Photos: K.M. Vance
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November 4, 2008: Election News
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Following Obama’s Chesapeake sweep: Obama, Clinton look to the next primaries
Last Updated Feb 2008
By Zenitha Prince
Washington Bureau Chief
Washington, D.C. (February 13, 2008)-- Buoyed on the winds of eight consecutive victories, including a sweep of the Chesapeake Primaries, Sen. Barack Obama heads into a fast approaching “mini Super Tuesday” with a slim lead in the number of pledged delegates in his corner.
The senator will face his biggest challenge yet come March 4 when he and Clinton go head-to-head in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.
With 444 delegates—370 pledged and 74 unpledged—up for grabs, these primaries could be the deciding factor in this race. It’s a must-win for Clinton, analysts say, in order to offset the smaller victories Obama has made along the way.
“….when African Americans are a large part of the electorate, Whites probably feel more threatened…”
“I don’t know that he can win (Ohio and Texas) but if he does,” political analyst Larry Sabato said. “I think it’s over for Clinton.”
The Illinois senator handily trounced his opponent, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, in Maryland, Virginia and Washington primaries Tuesday, putting him ahead of the former first lady by 1,195 to 1,178 delegates, according to CNN estimates.
At a victory celebration in Baltimore Tuesday night, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Chairman of Obama’s Maryland campaign, praised Obama’s supporters and volunteers for their decisive win.
“I don’t want people to just feel good about the senator,” said Cummings, one of Obama’s earliest supporters. “I want you to feel good about yourself for what you have accomplished.
“This campaign is the audacity of hope. Obama will be the next president of the United States.”
In this evenly matched slug fest that seems destined to meet its end at the Democratic National Convention in August, however, Obama can hardly afford a lull.
So far, the prospects seem to favor Clinton in the upcoming contests. In Ohio, the senator has an edge among the White working class, while Obama will be helped by the thousands of students attending more than 100 colleges and universities across the state. But in the Lone Star state, Clinton’s advantage seems clearer.
“Clinton starts out there with a big lead,” Sabato said.
The trend is partly influenced by southern politics in which race usually plays a part.
“Race has always been a basic divider in American politics,” Sabato said.
“Let’s face it, when African Americans are a large part of the electorate, Whites probably feel more threatened and they are less likely to vote for an African American.”
But the real racial story here is the separation between Blacks and Hispanics, he said.
Obama, who would become the first African-American president, has not done so well among Latinos and Clinton is expected to pick up those voters, who make up nearly 25 percent of the Texas electorate. African Americans, however, who make up about 21 percent of the vote in Texas, tend to favor Obama.
“I’ve been surprised by the Brown-Black divide in this elections,” Sabato said. “It’s been more apparent than the Black-White divide.”
With a waning campaign chest, Clinton eschewed the Chesapeake Primaries, where Obama was expected to win. Instead, she focused her attention on what her campaign on March 4.
Obama supporters say the senator shouldn’t be too sure of herself, though. The more the candidate wins, and the more people get to know their candidate, the more they want to join his campaign, they said.
“This election gives us tremendous momentum,” Cummings said. “Senator Clinton says wait until I get to Texas, well we’ll be in Texas too.”
Candice Tolliver, an Obama campaign spokeswoman, said they have already set up more than a dozen offices in Texas.
“A lot of time has been invested in Texas and Ohio,” she said. “We understand we have a lot of work to do, and we’re not taking any votes for granted.”
The campaign’s biggest handicap, Tolliver said, is name recognition. To counter that problem, the campaign has launched Spanish and English ads and has deployed hundreds of volunteers to canvass the states.
“You have two candidates under the Clinton banner, Senator Clinton and a de facto candidate, former President Clinton, who people already recognize,” Toliver said. “So it’s a matter of bridging the familiarity gap.”
Maryland volunteers say the on-the-ground campaign will work just as well in other states as it did here.
“A lot of people were skeptical about voting for him in the beginning, but as he keeps winning, this changes their minds,” Johns Hopkins student Samantha Buyniski, 21, of Cincinnati, said at Tuesday’s Baltimore celebration.
“My friends were originally Hillary supporters. They didn’t think he could win. Some of them now are supporting Obama.”
Before Obama and Clinton meet in Ohio and Texas, they will compete in the Feb. 19 primaries in Wisconsin and Hawaii, where he is expected to prevail.
“In Wisconsin, Hillary Clinton hard a nine point lead in the last poll, but that was taken before Obama’s big wins over the weekend and [on Tuesday,]” Sabato said. “There’s a progressive tradition in Wisconsin. So I think he has the edge. And young, college students have been very active for Obama and the Madison, University of Wisconsin area is very dominant in Wisconsin politics.”
Back in Maryland, Obama supporters were still reveling in their moment.
“I am very happy,” said Ben Jarso, 18, a Gilman High School student and Obama volunteer. “It’s comforting to see all your hard works come through.
Voters too were excited about their role in what has been a highly dramatic and historic race. Many braved biting rain and ice to cast their ballots. Virginia officials reported a 130 percent increase in voter turnout compared to the 2004 primaries. In Washington, some polling places ran out of ballots; and in Maryland, officials projected a 39 percent voter turn out, one of the highest primary numbers in years.
"I have been living in Prince George's County for a long time,” said Lena Madison, a 31-year resident of the Maryland suburb. “I never thought that I would live to see the day that I would be able to vote for a Black man that might be president."
Cummings said voters in the area, like those elsewhere, supported Obama because of what he represents.
“It’s not just a campaign for the presidency of the United States,” he said. “It’s a movement to change the country, to change this world. This is an historical moment.
“In the future, they will not be able to write the history books of this country without mentioning the name of Barack Hussein Obama.”
James Wright contributed to this story
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LONG LINES IN D.C. METRO AREA
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Wyatt Green of Largo, Md. reads a newspaper at Largo Senior High School while waiting to cast his ballot with 10-year-old daughter Relle. (Photo by Khalid Naji Allah)
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Prince George’s County residents wait to vote outside of Bowie State University’s McKeldin Center.
(Photo by Ben Phillips)
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Bowie McKeldin Center Polling Site
(Photo by Ben Phillips)
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Helen Brown Hands out literature at Bowie State McKeldin Polling. (Photo by Ben Phillips)
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A supporter for D.C. at Large City Council Incumbant Kwame Brown prepares to set up a campaign literature post near Howard University. (Photo by Dorothy Rowley)
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Tanisha Brown (left) and Shani Ossutt, both 18-year-old D.C. residents, were ecstatic about being able to vote for the first time. (Photo by Dorothy Rowley)
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Maria Augburn and Tairon Dingle arrive at a voting precinct in D.C. Ward 5. (Photo by Dorothy Rowley)
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Bennie Murray, 84, is assisted to his polling place in D.C. by his daughter Velinia Daniels, 46, of Fort Washington, Md. (Photo by Dorothy)
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Voters wrap around the perimeter of Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Md. (Photo by Alan King)
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