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Hillary's last hope
06/05/2008 16:47 - (SA)
Washington - Hillary Rodham Clinton's last real hope of keeping her embattled candidacy alive hangs on Tuesday's Democratic presidential nomination contests in Indiana and North Carolina, the biggest prizes left in her bruising fight with Barack Obama.
Clinton needs to win at least Indiana to remain viable in the contest given Obama's solid lead in delegates who will choose the nominee at the party's convention in August.
Obama, who wants to be the US's first black president, meanwhile, needs a strong showing to erase doubts about his ability to win the November election against Republican John McCain. Obama has been on the defensive for weeks, losing the important Pennsylvania primary and struggling to distance himself from incendiary remarks by his former pastor.
Clinton, seeking to become the first female US president, has been chipping away at Obama's advantage in North Carolina and the race in Indiana remains tight. She was leading Obama 49% to 43% in Indiana according to a Suffolk poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
A combined 187 delegates are at stake in the two primaries, but party rules make it difficult for one candidate to win many more than the other. Obama leads Clinton 1 745.5 to 1 608, with 2&bsp;025 needed for the nomination.
Pain at the pump
Pain at the fuel pump has become a big issue in the long campaign that started out focusing on the Iraq war. Surging prices at petrol stations have stunned Americans, who are accustomed to paying among the lowest prices in the developed world. A CNN-Opinion Research Corp poll released on Monday found six in 10 saying petrol prices have caused financial hardship for families.
With pleas aimed at working class voters, the two spent Monday arguing over Clinton's plan to suspend the federal gas tax.
Clinton assailed Obama for his opposition to the plan and released a TV commercial in both states saying she is "the candidate who is going to fight for working people".
Obama responded with his own spot that said Clinton was offering "more of the same old negative politics".
Both candidates expressed confidence ahead of Tuesday's vote, but also said they doubted the primaries would end the protracted nomination fight before June, when the last state contest is held. The 16-month battle has stoked concerns in the party of crippling disunity ahead of the November general elections.
Big spender
In addition to his lead in delegates, Obama has a strong fundraising advantage and outspent Clinton in both states. By Clinton campaign estimates, Obama has spent $5.6m in Indiana to Clinton's $3.2m. In North Carolina, the Clinton campaign said, Obama has spent $4.9m to Clinton's $3.5m.
Both candidates have had supporters spending money in Indiana as well. The Service Employees International Union, which is backing Obama, spent about $1.1m in the state, much of it on ads. The American Leadership Project, which has received most of its money from labour groups backing Clinton, spent more than $1m in ads in Indiana that questioned Obama's economic policies.
Obama continued to close Clinton's long-held lead among superdelegates, party leaders who aren't bound by the outcome of state contests. He picked up two from Maryland Monday, leaving him trailing Clinton 269-255.
Obama campaigned in both Indiana and North Carolina on Monday, closing the day with an outdoor rally at the American Legion Mall in Indianapolis headlined by Stevie Wonder.
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