Clinton wins Ohio, Rhode Island; Obama takes Vermont

Sen. Hillary Clinton "comes back" to win in Ohio and Rhode Island. (Video provided by MSNBC.com.)

By Mike Manzoni

Staff Writer

Looking toward a set of primaries outnumbered in pledged delegates and momentum, she aired an ad widely considered an attack on the national security credentials of her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)

And it may have worked.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY.) won the Ohio primary, surprising Obama in a race some thought would make him the party's presumptive nominee.

"For everyone in Ohio and America who has been counted out but refused to be knocked out…this one is for you," Clinton said, addressing a crowd of supporters in Columbus, Ohio.

"It's [Ohio] a state that knows how to pick a president," she said, "as Ohio goes, so goes the nation."

She added that no president in recent history has won the nomination without winning the Ohio primary.

Clinton also picked up a victory in Rhode Island. Obama won Vermont, and Texas, with 69 percent of precincts reporting, still was too close to call, according to The Associated Press.

"We are turning this page and we are ready to write the next great story in American history," Obama said at rally in San Antonio, Tex.

Congratulating Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for winning the Republican nomination Tuesday night, Obama, in the same sentence, contested his policies and welcomed a debate: "He has fallen in line behind the very same policies that have ill-served America."

The divisive night of primaries and caucuses followed a week of campaigning in which Clinton aired an ad – now known as the "3 a.m. ad" – which questioned viewers who they would want answering the White House phone at 3 a.m., should a problem arise immediately warranting presidential action.

The Clinton camp also questioned a memo obtained by The Associated Press that outlined a meeting between Obama's economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, and a representative of the Canadian government at the Canadian consulate in Chicago.

The memo detailed a meeting in which Goolsbee told the Canadian representative to take Obama's comments against free trade as "more of a political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans."

Last week, Obama denied that the meeting ever took place, but early this week admitted he knew of the meeting, but insisted Goolsbee did not represent his views.

Overnight, Obama picks up Hawaii

By Samuel Rubenfeld
News Editor

Stretching his winning streak to 10 states, Barack Obama picked up a victory on Tuesday in Hawaii, the state in which he was born.

Obama won by a margin of 3-1, beating Hillary Clinton 76 percent to 24 percent in the state's caucuses. The Associated Press called the victory at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Standard time.

The victories Tuesday night of the Wisconsin primary and Washington state's "beauty contest" by Obama gives him a significant lead in the delegate count. According to the Associated Press, which counts superdelegates as well as pledged delegates, Obama leads 1,319 to 1,245.

To reach a majority, a campaign must receive 2,025 delegates.

Analysts believe the race is becoming increasingly difficult for Clinton to win. "Suddenly, she needs 65 percent of these remaining states, of these delegates, just overturn that delegate lead that he has," said NBC News Political director Chuck Todd as the network covered the results Tuesday night.

"It moves that mountain that Hillary Clinton has to climb, when it comes to these delegates, a little bit higher. It's as if it keeps growing, it keeps growing, and she keeps taking steps back and it just keeps getting farther and farther out of reach," he said.

Clinton, at an event at New York's Hunter College Wednesday morning, sharpened her attacks on Obama over words versus deeds.

The next contests are on March 4, and they are primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Obama wins in Wisconsin, cements frontrunner status

Barack Obama delivers a nearly 45-minute long victory speech heavy on the specifics in Houston, Tex. (Video provided by MSNBC.com)

By Mike Manzoni
Staff Writer

Retaining the momentum he garnered after a host of victories earlier this month, Barack Obama (D-Ill.) won the Wisconsin primary Feb. 19, making it his ninth consecutive win in a race that now has fellow Democratic contender Hillary Clinton pressured for big wins in the Ohio and Texas primaries to take place March 4.

Although Wisconsin's blue-collar and lower-income population would appear to have benefited Sen. Clinton, the junior Illinois senator took 58 percent of the vote to Sen. Clinton's 41 percent, with 96 percent of precincts reporting.

Hawai'i also held its caucuses Tuesday, but the results do not come in until after the caucuses close at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Also, Washington state held a primary that will award no delegates, but with 53 percent of precincts reporting, Obama held onto a 50 percent to 47 percent lead, with the Associated Press not declaring a winner.

"We can't just have speeches, we've got to have solutions," said Clinton, referring to Obama in her primary night speech from Youngstown, Ohio. "The best words in the world aren't enough unless you match them with action."

Clinton did not mention the results in Wisconsin in her speech. And she was pre-empted by all three cable-news channels (FOX, MSNBC and CNN) when Obama took the stage to declare victory in Houston, Tex.

"The problem that we face today in America today is not the lack of good ideas, it is that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die," Obama said, after learning he had won the Wisconsin primary. He delivered an uncharacteristically long victory speech which lasted nearly 45 minutes, and it was heavy on policy specifics, including his views on education reform, health care and immigration.

"We're here because we still believe that change is possible," he said.

Washington awarded its delegates during caucuses held Feb. 9, which Obama won. The state legislature there decided to go ahead with what was being called a "beauty contest" even though the Democratic National Committee decided to allot their delegates after the caucuses. Nearly 500,000 voters had turned out with 53 percent of the precincts reporting.

Obama's ninth straight victory comes after New Mexico announced the winner of its caucus held on Super Tuesday. Clinton edged Obama out by 1,709 votes there, party officials announced last Thursday.

In the days before the two contests, the Clinton camp accused Obama of plagiarizing the words of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and using them as his own in his stump speeches.

The Clinton camp said it "calls into question the premise of his candidacy."

But when asked about allegations of plagiarism by Clinton herself which had been raised in press reports about Obama, senior Clinton campaign advisor Howard Wolfson said she "is not running on the strength of her rhetoric" in a conference call with reporters.

Obama rejected the charges of plagiarism and said that he often borrows the words of the Massachusetts governor – a person he campaigned for in his successful 2006 gubernatorial bid, and who has publicly defended him in response to the attacks.

In Texas, Obama was charging ahead. "The change we seek is still months and miles away, and we need the good people of Texas to help us get there," he said.

McCain wins Wisconsin, Washington state primaries

John McCain attacked Barack Obama in his victory speech after winning the Wisconsin primaries. Later in the night, he was also announced the winner of the Washington state primary. (Video provided by MSNBC.com)

By Michelle Westgate

Staff Writer

John McCain can add Wisconsin and Washington state to the list of states he has won this primary season.

With 92 percent of precincts reporting in Wisconsin, McCain has won 55 percent of the votes, while Mike Huckabee has received 37 percent of the votes. In Washington, where some of the delegates were already elected in caucuses held on Feb. 9, McCain won with 49 percent of the vote, with 53 percent of precincts reporting.

Huckabee only captured 21 percent of the vote there, with 23 percent of voters choosing "other."

“Even a superstitious naval aviator can claim with confidence and humility that I will be our party’s nominee for president of the United States,” McCain said at a rally tonight in Columbus, OH, as he thanked Wisconsin for this latest success.

In the speech, he also attacked Barack Obama. "I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change," he said.

The Washington state caucuses, which allocated the rest of the state's delegates, held on Feb. 9 are in legal limbo. McCain was declared victorious with only 87 percent of the votes counted, and Huckabee filed a lawsuit demanding a recount of the caucus results. McCain's margin of victory over Huckabee in the caucus was 2 percent, 26 percent to 24 percent.

McCain spent the last four days collecting key endorsements, including former candidate Mitt Romney, who announced that he was supporting McCain, and he encouraged his delegates to do the same.

“This is a man capable of leading our country at a dangerous hour,” Romney said.

In addition to the support of Romney, former President George H.W. Bush also endorsed McCain this week. Both Romney and Bush refer to McCain’s experience as a war hero when citing his ability to lead the nation.

“His character was forged in the crucible of war,” Bush said. “His commitment to America is beyond any doubt.”

Despite the recent endorsements, McCain still appears to be struggling to gain the support of the party’s more conservative members. In CNN exit polls tonight, 42 percent of GOP voters said McCain was not conservative enough. However, moderate voters and less conservative voters carried him to victory.

"Will the next President have the experience...and the strength of purpose to respond...in ways that strengthen our security?" McCain asked as he attacked Obama on foreign policy. "Or will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested invading our ally, Pakistan?

"I’m not the youngest candidate, but I am the most experienced,” he said.

Apologies

The Chronicle apologizes for not covering the campaign through a pivotal weekend in electoral politics. But stay tuned, as we wrap and analyze the results in our print edition, hitting stands Thursday evening.

Links will be provided upon online publication.

UPDATE: Stories can be found here and here.

Romney declares victory in Maine GOP caucuses

By Samuel Rubenfeld
News Editor

Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) declared victory Saturday night in the lightly contested Republican caucuses in Maine. With 64 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had 52 percent of the vote, with Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) coming in second with 22 percent of the vote, and Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) placing third with 19 percent of the vote.

The Maine caucuses awarded no delegates however, the vote was instead nothing more than a preference poll, with voters choosing participants to the state party's nominating convention in May. But the results themselves could represent some momentum for the former Massachusetts governor going into Super Tuesday.

Paul was the only candidate to actively campaign in Maine; Romney sent one of his sons to spend two days in the state during the leadup to the caucuses.

"Today, the people from Maine joined those from across the nation in casting their vote for conservative change in Washington," Romney said in a statement released before 8 p.m., as the results came in. "Tonight, they have made their voice known and have endorsed our conservative vision for a stronger America. Like many Americans, the people of Maine are tired of Washington promises made but broken."

In other campaign news: McCain was declared the official winner of the contested Louisiana caucuses held Jan. 22. The Paul campaign had demanded a recount, due to alleged mistakes in ballot distribution by the Louisiana GOP.

McCain wins Florida primary, Rudy out tomorrow; Clinton wins, but earns no delegates

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is leaving the race for president after placing third in a primary he had said was a "must win." (Video provided by MSNBC.com)

By Kimberly Chin
Assistant News Editor

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won the Florida Republican primary, beating Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) by five points, 36 percent to 31 percent, with 95 percent of precincts reporting, while Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) won a Democratic primary that awarded her no delegates.

McCain earned all 57 national convention delegates from the state and drove former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani from the race. Giuliani placed in third, earning 15 percent in a state he repeatedly said was a "must win," since he relied on a victory there to parlay momentum into the Super Tuesday contests, where more than 21 states will choose their Republican nominee.

"Our victory might not have met landslide proportions," McCain said at his victory rally, "but it's sweet nonetheless." McCain drew upon the conservative and senior voters in the state while Romney was able to scoop up the moderate and socially liberal voters.

Giuliani spent millions of dollars in Florida, campaigning there almost alone while the other candidates spent time competing in the other early primary states, including Iowa, Michigan and South Carolina. In his concession, he did not explicitly drop out of the race, but reports confirmed his departure minutes after he left the stage.

"We ran a campaign that was uplifting," he told his supporters.

Florida is a crucial state in the Republican primary having given the most delegates in a single state thus far. About 2 million voters turned out in Florida to vote in the Republican contest.

Exit polls show that the economy was the most important issue for Florida voters. McCain said that it is up to the government to not spend more than necessary pointing out the excessive money spent in wars overseas and have resulted in a "loss" to Americans.

Drawing from his military experience, he stressed the need for the government to secure the nation from "enemies foreign and domestic."

Romney also stressed the importance of the economy in his concession. "The economy is in my blood," he told Floridians; Romney was referring to his corporate background in the venture capital business. "Americans need a president in the White House that's actually had a job in the real world," Romney said.

"We are not going to change Washington by just sending the same people back just to sit in different chairs," said Romney. "Change will begin with us."

Gov. Mike Huckabee (R- Ark.) told his supporters in Florida he will be heading to California, suggesting that he still had high hopes for Super Tuesday, and he was staying in the race, despite placing fourth in the Florida primary.

Democratic voters took to the polls as well, despite being stripped of its national delegates because the state chose to hold its primary before the national party rules said it could. The candidates, as a result, agreed not to campaign in the state as well. Analysts deemed the primary a "beauty contest."

Clinton won the primary handily, getting 50 percent of the votes, with 94 percent of the precincts reporting. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won 33 percent while Edwards picked up 14 percent of the vote. Clinton was the only Democrat to appear in Florida to address supporters there, and she did it after the polls closed.

“I could not come here to ask in person for your votes, but I am here to thank you for your votes today," she said. "I am thrilled to have had this vote of confidence that you have given me today, and I promise you I will do everything I can to make sure not only are Florida’s Democratic delegates seated, but Florida is in the winning column for the Democrats in 2008."

Both parties are now turning to Feb. 5, in which the candidates will be busy traversing the country trying to gain as much support from the 24 states participating in the primaries and caucuses as they can. Super Tuesday will be a make-or-break for many of the candidates, and it could indicate a clear frontrunner in close primary elections.

With the Florida win, McCain was very hopeful about his chances on Tuesday. "I'm confident we will succeed in this contest and in the bigger one against any one of the Democratic nominees," he said.

McCain edges Huckabee in South Carolina

Sen. John McCain accepts victory in the South Carolina GOP primary. (Video provided by MSNBC.com)

By Kimberly Chin
Assistant News Editor

Uncertainty continues in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, as Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) wins the South Carolina primary with 33 percent of the vote to become the GOP victor in the first Southern primary, a state he lost when he was the object of aggressive negative campaigning in 2000 by then-Gov. George W. Bush's campaign.

He edged out Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.), who received 30 percent of the vote, with 94 percent of precincts reporting, while Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.) and Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) raced for third place, Romney trailing behind Thompson by less than 1 percent.

“It took us a while, but what’s eight years among friends?” McCain said in his victory speech, referring to his unsuccessful campaign against President George Bush in 2000. Shouts of “Mac is back! Mac is back!” echoed among McCain's supporters.

Every GOP winner in the South Carolina primary has become the nominee since 1980. And no Republican has won the White House without South Carolina for decades.

McCain's support again came from Independents and some Republicans, but he lost overall registered Republicans to Huckabee. Huckabee's core constituency, evangelical Christians, split its vote between McCain, Huckabee and Thompson, according to exit polls.

McCain appealed to the voters who felt that the top campaign issue remains the war in Iraq, according to exit polls.

Huckabee had announced that he had called McCain personally to congratulate him and thanked him for a "civil and decent" campaign. "The path to the White House is not ending here tonight," Huckabee said in his concession speech. "Tomorrow we wake up to fight the battle yet again and yet again."

Thompson delivered a rambling speech to his supporters even before the votes were fully tallied. "It's never been about me. It's never even been about you. It's been about our country," Thompson told his supporters. Pundits on MSNBC were laughing as he finished, and anchor Keith Olbermann asked "What was that?" as they came back on the air.

Analysts believe he may drop out of the race in the coming days, because he had been banking on a strong showing in South Carolina, and he did not indicate meeting that threshold. CNN reported that two sources said Thompson may be hitting the end of his campaign, with aides saying it had become "abundantly evident to us all."

Romney's shifted his focus from South Carolina toward Nevada earlier in the campaign, amounting to a victory for him there.

McCain's victory carries momentum for his campaign into Florida, where the GOP holds its next primary on Jan. 29, and where McCain already has a slight lead, according to polls conducted in the state. New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is banking on a Florida victory to carry his campaign into Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, but his precipitous decline in the polls may prevent it from happening.