click on each candidate to see today's news stories (caricatures by Linda Eddy)

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008

Super Tuesday results:

CLINTON wins 499 delegates/total 760 [2,025 needed]:

Arkansas, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee

OBAMA wins 491 delegates/total 693 [2,025 needed]:

Alaska, Alabama, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah

MCCAIN wins 468 delegates/total 570 [1,191 needed]:

Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma

ROMNEY wins 158 delegates/total 251 [1,191 needed]:

Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Utah

HUCKABEE wins 132 delegates/total 175 [1,191 needed]:

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia

Turnout: Dems wallop GOP

Across the country, over three million more voters turned out in Democratic primaries than Republican contests -- a trend that persisted even in traditionally conservative states. Turnout in Missouri's Democratic primary was a whopping 70% higher than the G.O.P. contest, for example, where Obama won by a point. The last time the state held two contested primaries, in 2000, Republicans beat Democratic turnout by 56%.

New Mexico primary still too close to call...

With turnout far exceeding expectations, Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton were separated by roughly 100 votes early Wednesday in an excruciatingly close battle to win New Mexico’s presidential caucus...

Dem exit polls: Clinton, Obama split key demographics

Exit polling from Tuesday’s Democratic primaries in 16 states found key strengths for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, mostly on gender, race, income and age.

Slate: Did Obama or Clinton win Super Tuesday?

Both candidates took advantage of their strengths but didn't put to rest questions about their weaknesses. Obama beat Clinton by 40 points among the 52 percent of voters who say they want change. Clinton trounced him 91 percent to 5 percent among those who say experience is the most important quality in a candidate, but that group represented only 22 percent of the voters.

In a political year during which the conventional wisdom has taken beating after beating, perhaps no assumption has been made more obsolete than the idea that the front-loaded primary system would foist an early winner on the American people.

see also: Dems head for messy nomination process

              No one scores Super Knockout

The next big prize: Washington state on Saturday

"All eyes will be on Washington for the next couple of days," said Travis Ridout, a Washington State University professor who studies presidential politics. "It's the next battleground."

With Republican caucuses in Kansas, Democratic caucuses in Nebraska and both parties' Louisiana primaries also on Saturday, Washington will have some competition for the spotlight. But the state, with its 97 Democratic delegates and 40 Republican delegates, is going to be key for both parties, according to analysts and campaign staffers.

Democrats' superdelegate info

Republicans' delegate info

John McCain... today's headlines with excerpts

McCain to resurrect Reagan to introduce him to C-PAC tomorrow

McCain is planning an all-out push at CPAC.  At 3 pm tomorrow, McCain is scheduled to address the crowd expected to number over 6,000 activists.  And McCain plans a very special introduction. 

According to my source, McCain has prepared a video featuring President Ronald Reagan to make the introduction. If McCain uses this video, it is very likely to backfire badly.  This is the group before which Ronald Reagan said in 1975 that, “A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers.” 

Very few of the 2008 CPAC crowd will see McCain as the successor to Reagan and Reagan’s principles.  McCain has sacrificed conservatives’ fundamental beliefs throughout his Senate career.  If McCain uses this introduction, the boos will be very loud...

Dobson delivers blow to McCain

James Dobson, the influential founder of the conservative, evangelical advocacy group Focus on the Family, has delivered a blow to John McCain — by saying he won’t vote for him if he’s the Republican presidential nominee.

“I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are … I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Conservatives vow to become 'suicide voters'

McCain has so radicalized key conservatives that some have vowed to turn themselves into suicide voters next November by pulling the lever for Hillary Rodham Clinton over him. [Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, James Dobson,

McCain's Super Tuesday speech

text  

 video

McCain seizes command of GOP race

"We've won some of the biggest states in the country," McCain told cheering supporters at a rally in Phoenix, hours before California made his Tuesday Super. An underdog for months, he proclaimed himself the front-runner at last, and added. "I don't really mind it one bit."

In the competition that counted the most, the Arizona senator had 525 delegates, more than 40 percent of the 1,191 needed for the nomination—and far ahead of his rivals.

Even so, Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said they were staying in the race.

Ron Paul... today's headlines with excerpts

After Super Tuesday, Ron Paul should consider a Plan B

Tracking the Ron Paul bid for over a year, I had expected better results last night....

... From the beginning, Ron Paul said that this race is not about him, but the message. Unless his campaign can do something quickly to change these trends, the message will finish fourth, along with the candidate.

... With very few delegates to date, he doesn't have the leverage to negotiate with Romney or Huckabee. He does have a few million dollars in the bank, which may be more than the three amigos combined. If he stays in, and Huckabee drops out, which doesn't seem likely as long as the governor has some money to continue, there will be less competition for the libertarian message. Discounting a possible run in another party, it's probably the best Paul can hope for.

Hillary Clinton... today's headlines with excerpts

Hillary seen as 'lesser threat' to McCain

"With Hillary Clinton, John McCain would start as a very moderate favorite," pollster Scott Rasmussen said. "McCain would have the edge among independent voters. He is viewed very favorably by independents and Senator Clinton struggles in that area."

Pollster John Zogby agreed, saying, "Obama does better against McCain than Hillary does because she is so polarizing. ... A lot of people will simply be voting against her."

Hillary Clinton's Super Tuesday speech

text

 video

Hillary takes California in tight race

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton claimed the biggest prize of Super Tuesday's Democratic primaries with a win in California...

... California -- where 441 Democratic delegates will be chosen -- was the biggest prize of the night, and exit polls indicated a close race between Clinton and Obama there. As polls closed on the West Coast, Clinton congratulated Obama and said the campaign would go on.