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Re: South Carolina Dem. Primary
Barack Obama Wins South Carolina Primary
Record African-American Turnout Carries Sen. Barack Obama to Victory in S.C.
By JENNIFER PARKER
Jan. 26, 2008 '”
Sen. Barack Obama, vying to become the nation's first black president, has won the South Carolina primary today, ABC News projects, boosted by record turnout of African-American voters in a state whose electorate appears polarized along racial lines.
While the race for second-place is too close to call, Sen. Hillary Clinton appears to be leading former Sen. John Edwards in the race for second. This is the second win of the nomination battle for Obama, who won the Iowa caucuses earlier this month, but this is his first win in a state with a sizable African-American population.
Women and African Americans, courted heavily by the candidates, turned out in large numbers to vote in what became a bitter Democratic primary marked by rhetoric about race and gender.
Exit poll results indicate just over half of Democratic primary voters were black this year -- the highest turnout among African-Americans in any Democratic presidential primary at least since 1984, reports ABC News' Gary Langer. Women accounted for six in 10 voters, similar to their 57 percent turnout rate in 2004.
Obama went into the first Democratic Southern contest the clear favorite, buoyed by support from black voters.
African American Voters Boost Obama
Sen. Hillary Clinton started out strong in the state, but began to trail Obama in December. In recent weeks her campaign has tried to lower expectations, positioning her as the underdog in the race, and largely leaving her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to campaign in the Palmetto State.
Yet to win any primary contest so far, tonight's loss was another crushing blow to former Sen. John Edwards, who was born in South Carolina, and who won the state in 2004. Edwards suggested this week that even if he lost his home state, he intended to continue campaigning into Super-Duper Tuesday, Feb.5.
But in a campaign dominated by talk of race, South Carolinians went into the polls with the economy on their minds; just over half called it the most important issue in their vote. South Carolina has the fourth-highest unemployment rate in the nation, and has lost more than 90,000 manufacturing jobs over the last decade.
Obama greeted brunch-goers Saturday morning at Harper's Restaurant in Columbia, posing for photographs and thanking people for their vote.
Obama: Media Focused 'Maniacally' on Race
"Here in South Carolina there is a sizable African-American population. Not surprisingly, we're doing well there. I'm sure they're taking pride in my candidacy," Obama told ABC News' Kate Snow on Saturday's "Good Morning America Weekend" edition.
Early on, the Obama campaign sought out African-Americans, employing a large staff in the state and organizing in churches, beauty parlors and barber shops. The Clinton campaign, too, fought hard for black women voters, who tend to turn out reliably at the polls.
But Obama complained the media's focus on race has been excessive.
"The press has been very focused, almost maniacally, on the issue of race here in South Carolina," Obama told ABC News' Kate Snow. "But as we move forward after this contest, I'm very confident that we are going to continue to build the kind of coalitions that we've been seeing all across the country."
The junior senator from Illinois dismissed the notion he has been marginalized, in the words of Associated Press writer Ron Fournier, as "the black candidate, by the Clinton machine."
"I think it'd be hard to argue that I have been marginalized, when I won Iowa, which was 94 percent white. We were almost tied in New Hampshire, a state that has an all-white population. And in Nevada, I was able to win, actually, the biggest votes, uh, margins, in those northern areas ? that are predominantly white, rural, conservative areas," Obama said.
Former President Bill Clinton made headlines this week when he chastized CNN reporter Jessica Yellin for challenging him about comments he made about race and gender.
Clinton Camp Plays Expectations Game
Campaigning Saturday morning with her daughter, Chelsea, Hillary Clinton popped into a Shoney's restaurant in Columbia and urged people to vote.
"I am just hoping for a good day. I am just hoping for a big turn out," she said, reports ABC News' Eloise Harper.
Sitting down beside an 8-year-old boy named Messiah, who was playing a video game, Clinton leaned in and said, "So this guy, what's he doing?"
Looking at the game, he said, "Beatin' up the evil people." Clinton paused and said, "Can I have him come with me?"
Nearby, Bill Clinton ate grits and eggs with supporters of his wife at Bert's Grill and Diner, and visited a voting station down the road, reports ABC News' Sarah Amos.
Race Shifts to Florida
Behind the scenes, Clinton's campaign sent out a memo to reporters that attempted to minimize the impact of the South Carolina contest.
"Regardless of today's outcome, the race quickly shifts to Florida, where hundreds of thousands of Democrats will turn out to vote Tuesday," wrote Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson.
In a sign of how bad the blood is between the two campaigns, Obama's spokesman Bill Burton quickly sent a memo of his own.
"It should not be surprising given recent events that the Clinton campaign would in one breath say the election is about winning delegates and then tout their success in states that don't award any delegates in the next breath," Burton wrote.
That type of back-and-forth bickering between the Obama and Clinton campaigns has allowed Edwards, who has moved up in the polls in recent weeks, to argue that he is the only "grown-up" in the race, running ads showing his rivals attacking one another at Monday night's debate.
"Vote for somebody who's actually focused on the problems that you're faced with, from jobs to health care to ending the war in Iraq, as opposed to two candidates who are spending all their time and energy tearing each other down. I'm about building South Carolina up, not about tearing people down, not about tearing politicians down," Edwards said Saturday, campaigning in Charleston.
A loss in his home state could drive a stake through the former senator's presidential ambitions, but Edwards told ABC News' David Muir Friday he's going to continue to fight, even if he comes in third.
Edwards is expected to stay in the race at least until the Super-Duper Feb. 5 contests, because his advisers believe he could play kingmaker if his two rivals end up short on delegates.
On primary day the Clinton campaign launched a series of anti-Edwards robotic calls in S.C., reminding voters Edwards once worked for a hedge fund that, the call argued has been "profiting" from sub prime lending and home foreclosures.
"You should also know that John Edwards made nearly a half a million dollars working for a Wall Street investment fund. A fund that's been profiting on foreclosing on the homes of families; including 100 homes right here in South Carolina? Can you trust John Edwards? This call is paid for by the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign."
In a race that has increasingly become a delegate war leading up to the Super-Duper Feb.5 primaries and caucuses, 45 delegates were up for grabs in the state.
A win tonight gives Obama a boost, and some much needed momentum before Tuesday's Florida primary and before voters in more than 20 states have their say Feb. 5.
ABC News' Gary Langer, Kate Snow, David Muir, Eloise Harper, Sarah Amos, Sunlen Miller, Raelyn Johnson and Karen Travers contributed reporting.
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008 … 240&page=1
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I think they might be talking out of their ass. I mean the polls just closed ten minutes ago 
Re: South Carolina Dem. Primary
Yeah, I think the media outlets are way too quick to call a race. They all want to be first. He will probably win, but there's no way to know 10 minutes after the polls close. I understand how exit polls play a role in calling winners early, but damn at least wait more than 10 minutes.
Edwards should drop out. I know he wont because if there is no clear winner going into the convention, he can play a role with his delegates and help decide who the democratic nominee is.
Re: South Carolina Dem. Primary
Edwards should drop out. I know he wont because if there is no clear winner going into the convention, he can play a role with his delegates and help decide who the democratic nominee is.
At this point I think its safe to say he's running for VP. I dont care how optimistic the guy is, he must know theres no way in hell he'll get the actual nomination for president.
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Re: South Carolina Dem. Primary
Good for Obama. He needed this win. (Provided he actully won).
Re: South Carolina Dem. Primary
Found this on Fox News...
It was not yet clear whether Clinton or John Edwards took second place in the state. With less than 1 percent of precincts reporting, early returns showed Obama with 70 percent, Clinton with 18 percent and Edwards with 12 percent.
I was never that good at math, but with only one percent reporting in, how in the hell can they project a winner?
Re: South Carolina Dem. Primary
Hillary might be in trouble. Exit polls are showing 49% of white voters under 29 voted for Obama. Thats an alarming statistic for her campaign. If she starts losing "the white vote" to Obama as this election year progresses, she will not win.
I think Bill Clinton needs to step out of this situation. He isn't helping her. People might be nostalgic for the good times of the 90's, but everyone knows Hillary cant bring that to the table. He should stay behind the scenes.
Re: South Carolina Dem. Primary
Found this on Fox News...
It was not yet clear whether Clinton or John Edwards took second place in the state. With less than 1 percent of precincts reporting, early returns showed Obama with 70 percent, Clinton with 18 percent and Edwards with 12 percent.
I was never that good at math, but with only one percent reporting in, how in the hell can they project a winner?
Exit polls play a huge role in deciding the winner before the votes are all counted. Obama is killing her in every category in the exit polls, so its pretty safe for them to declare Obama the winner.
I still think they should wait though. Anything can happen, even if its unlikely.
Re: South Carolina Dem. Primary
Said Bill Clinton today in Columbia, SC: "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here."
Hmm. This could backfire easily. Clintons are trying to make Obama look like a fringe black candidate.
