Clinton comes out on top in Pa.
By Peach Indravudh
April 22, 2008 9:00 p.m.
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, took an expected win in the last of the big states on Tuesday in the Pennsylvania primary as the push for the Democratic presidential nomination continued.
Though there are nine primaries left, Clinton’s nomination still continues to cling tightly to the number of uncommitted superdelegates she can win over.
As of press time, Clinton led with 55 percent of the vote while Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who currently leads in the overall delegate count, followed with 45 percent.
Overall, there are 158 delegates at stake in Pennsylvania.
Student supporters of Clinton said they continue to hope that the New York senator will make significant gains in the upcoming primaries and the uncommitted superdelegates will take into account her ability to win big and swing states that could ultimately tip the scale against Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, in the general election.
“The strongest argument the Clinton campaign can make is that she’s won the biggest states. When it comes time for the superdelegates to choose someone, someone who can win the swing (and) big states, Clinton would be the better person to stand against McCain,” said Teddy Schwartz, the president of Bruins for Hillary.
Meanwhile, as the Democratic candidates were facing off in Pennsylvania, presumed Republican candidate McCain was in Ohio, a key battleground state, speaking about the country’s economic condition and the catalysts needed to invigorate it.
With his eye on November, McCain has recently been rising in the polls. However, political science professor Lynn Vavreck said this could change dramatically once a Democratic candidate has been decided.
In a poll conducted by The Associated Press, Clinton received significant support from working-class voters, while Obama continued to collect the black vote.
Because the demographics in Pennsylvania are similar to that of Indiana, where one of the next primaries is taking place on May 6, Flavia de la Fuente, the external vice president of Bruins for Obama, said she expects the voting results to be similar.
Because Indiana is neighbors with Obama’s home state, Vavreck said, the contest is not entirely decided and the senator’s political influence in Illinois could spill over.
North Carolina will also be having a primary on May 6. Schwartz said he believes the Clinton campaign will face an uphill battle, since Obama’s large win in South Carolina could be indicative of North Carolina’s results as well.
But what Vavreck said will ultimately matter is the superdelegate vote.
“It’s all about the superdelegates. If it was easy for them, they would have made up their mind. (The candidates) need to give them a reason to go for one or the other,” Vavreck said.
When looking at Obama, de la Fuente said superdelegates will consider the senator’s edge in delegates when they vote.
“Obama will try to point to the numbers; he has the most votes, the most delegates. … He’ll appeal to the fact the party needs to pull together for November,” de la Fuente said.
Clinton, meanwhile, will emphasize her popularity in big states, where a winner-take-all electoral count runs the general election.
Though Schwartz believes the division in the Democratic Party has been portrayed as negative, he believes it is positive that more voters are becoming involved in the election process and that later primaries are making a difference in the selection of a nominee.
“It’s fantastic that people can truly get to know these candidates and see the differences between them. Many states have become involved that hadn’t before because the nominee would have already been decided. The Democratic Party is in a good place and all these new voters are coming out,” Schwartz said.
