Clinton’s Massachusetts Supporters Say Momentum is Hers
PRIMARIES
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jason Millman
Boston University Washington News Service
March 5, 2008
WASHINGTON – Coming off campaign-saving primary victories in Texas and Ohio, Hillary Rodham Clinton has reclaimed some of her early momentum in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, her Massachusetts supporters in Congress say.
Amid pressure from party leaders to drop out of the race if she lost either Texas or Ohio, Mrs. Clinton won the primaries in both states as well as that of Rhode Island on Tuesday, breaking contender Barack Obama’s winning streak dating back to Super Tuesday and setting up a battle for the next major primary, April 22 in Pennsylvania.
“After last night, I think the campaign is obviously shifted in a very dramatic way in her direction,” said U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, who was the first Massachusetts congressman to endorse Mrs. Clinton last March. “These victories were obviously essential, and they position her well as she goes into Pennsylvania.”
Although Mr. Obama still leads in the delegate count, Mrs. Clinton’s supporters point to her wins in Texas and Ohio as proof of the candidate’s ability to win the race’s most important states. Mrs. Clinton, who won Massachusetts, also earned big wins in California and New York.
Mrs. Clinton’s supporters played down the idea that a prolonged battle for the nomination could severely divide the party before the Democratic National Convention at the end of August.
“I think you have millions of people who are participating in the political process for the first time, and it’s energized Democratic candidates everywhere,” said U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield. “You can see the difference in the voter turnout.”
“I think this is good for the Democratic Party in many respects,” Mr. McGovern said. “You get two smart, intelligent, articulate candidates generating a lot of enthusiasm. People like them both, and the fact of the matter is they’re energizing people like never before.”
Mrs. Clinton’s major victories could mean that a nominee will not be decided until the convention, when superdelegates will be a huge factor because Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton almost certainly cannot capture the necessary delegates based on the state count alone. Though the superdelegate system has received criticism, the congressmen said it should be accepted for what it is.
“For better or worse, that’s the process,” Mr. McGovern said. “In the past, it’s never been an issue because we’ve never had this kind of a tight race.”
Now that it is clear the campaign for the Democratic nomination will continue to be competitive for some time, Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and Michigan Democratic Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm released a joint statement Wednesday urging that at the party conventions delegates from their states be fully counted.
The Republican National Committee penalized Michigan and Florida and cut in half their number of delegates because the states moved up the primary dates against party orders. The Democratic National Committee went further and stripped the states of all their delegates.
Mrs. Clinton won both states in January, but candidates were not allowed to campaign in either state – both seen as pivotal in the general election – and Mr. Obama withdrew his name from the Michigan ballot.
“I think we’re going to have to do something about Florida or Michigan,” Mr. Neal said. “We’re going to have to look at a series of options.”
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