ELECTION 2008 No knockout, split decision McCain moves closer to GOP nomination, Hillary, Obama trade Super Tuesday wins
Posted: February 05, 20088:37 pm Eastern
By Joseph Farah© 2008 WorldNetDaily
Republican presidential hopeful Sen, John McCain beaming after primary victories
WASHINGTON – John McCain picked up major victories to move his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination significantly closer, while Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton traded wins in a contest likely to continue long after Super Tuesday.
With vote-counting still going on in many states, McCain won New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Delaware, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Missouri, California and Arizona. Huckabee won Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee, while Mitt Romney took his home state of Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado and Utah.
On the Democratic side, Clinton took Massachusetts, New York, Arkansas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Tennessee and California. Obama won his home state of Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, Connecticut, Utah, Kansas, North Dakota, Minnesota, Delaware, Missouri, Colorado and Idaho.
Today was the biggest day in presidential nominating contests leading up to the Nov. 4 general election. More than half the total delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August and about 40 percent of the delegates to the Republican National Convention in September were up for grabs.
The Clinton-Obama contest is historic – pitting someone vying to be the first woman presidential nominee versus someone attempting to become the first black presidential candidate for a major party.
Though the night seemed likely to end without a nominee crowned in either party, McCain was clearly the big winner.
"We might be at a tipping point in the Republican race," said Fox News contributor William Kristol.
Exit polls conducted by news organizations found voters in both parties most concerned about the U.S. economy. Republicans were also concerned about illegal immigration while Democrats focused on the war in Iraq.
The polls, based on actual interviews with voters leaving polling booths, also found Clinton was strongly supported by Hispanics and people seeking an experienced candidate, but Obama was getting surprising support from women and whites while blacks, young voters and those with higher incomes.
On the Republican side, McCain got strong backing from self-described moderates and people valuing experience and leadership. He and Romney battled for an edge among party regulars. Romney won over most conservative voters and people wanting a strong stance against illegal immigrants.
Obama was getting support from more than four in 10 women and about the same number of whites, leaving him just a few percentage points behind Clinton.
Based on the day's results, some speculated Romney might be forced out of the race – leaving it a two-man contest between McCain and Huckabee. But Romney put any thoughts of quitting out of the minds of his supporters in a speech tonight.
"I think there's some people who thought it was all going to be done tonight, but it's not all done tonight. We're going to keep on battling," Romney said. "We're going to go all the way to the convention. We're going to win this thing and we're going to go to the White House."
McCain, meanwhile, seemed to recognize the race for the nomination is now his to lose.
"We've won in some of the biggest states in the country," McCain said, adding that he's never minded the underdog role: "We must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party front-runner for the nomination."
As results were tallied, McCain led with 345 delegates, to 129 for Romney and 115 for Huckabee. It takes 1,191 to win the nomination at this summer's convention in St. Paul, Minn.
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