Last night: Another split decision
Posted: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 9:27 AM by Domenico Montanaro
With 100% of precincts reporting, Clinton beat Obama in Kentucky, 65%-30%. In Oregon, with 88% reporting, Obama bested Clinton, 58%-42%.
This Los Angeles Times headline and subhead tell the story of just how Clinton got little media credit for Kentucky win last night. The header: "Obama wins Oregon and takes step closer to winning nomination." The subhead: "He captures a majority of pledged delegates to the Democratic convention even as he loses Kentucky by a wide margin to Clinton." So Obama's win and delegate milestone get headline play and Clinton's Kentucky win gets subhead play.
That’s how many media outlets focused their stories. The New York Times says Obama “took a big step toward becoming the Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday, amassing enough additional delegates to claim an all but insurmountable advantage in his race against … Clinton. While Mrs. Clinton’s campaign continued to make a case that she could prevail, Mr. Obama seized on the results from Democratic contests in Kentucky and Oregon to move into a new phase of the campaign in which he will face different challenges. Those include bringing disaffected Clinton supporters into his camp; winning over elements of the Democratic coalition like working-class whites, Hispanics and Jews; and fending off attacks from Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, especially on national security.”
Here are some other interesting things in the piece: Obama is “planning a vigorous schedule of travel to general election states and a voter registration drive focusing on black voters to offset any losses among whites. Aides said he was considering delivering another speech to deal with damage in the primary because of attacks on his relationship with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., as well as on his patriotism. ‘We know we have our work cut out for us,’ said Steve Hildebrand, a deputy campaign manager for Mr. Obama. ‘But we are up to the task.’”
Per the AP, “Speaking to some 6,000 supporters at an outdoor rally with the Iowa Statehouse as a backdrop, the Illinois senator pointed to a campaign where few gave him much of chance of winning when he started the journey a year and a half ago. He is now the likely nominee.”
The AP also slices the exit polls and notes that whites helped Clinton in Kentucky -- but not in Oregon.
KENTUCKY: The Lexington Herald-Leader: “Kentucky voters ignored mounting evidence that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama will be the Democratic presidential nominee and overwhelmingly supported U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday.” More: “But Obama snared a key consolation prize by nabbing 14 of Kentucky's 51 pledged delegates -- enough to pass a key threshold.” And: “So, in effect, Kentucky and Oregon decided very little, political observers said.”
OREGON: The Portland Tribune: “Oregon win puts Obama in driver’s seat.” “The win in Oregon gives Obama bragging rights to a majority of pledged delegates in his quest for the Democratic nomination. If Democratic ‘superdelegates’ continue to come out for Obama or switch their allegiance from Clinton, Obama could effectively wrap up the nomination in the next two weeks.”
The Oregonian: “Intense interest in the Obama-Clinton battle sparked the highest voter turnout in 32 years among Democrats. Election officials reported 68 percent of Democrats cast their ballots. Overall state turnout, including Republicans, stood at 52 percent late Tuesday, with more than 1 million Oregon voters casting primary ballots.”
