Barack Obama Handily Wins South Carolina's Democratic Primary

26 January 2008 -- Illinois Senator Barack Obama won the South Carolina Democratic primary with more votes than his two rivals combined. This was a much-needed win for the African-American candidate and polling results show he had overwhelming support from black voters, but Obama says he is seeking support from all voters, not just those who share his ancestry.

Coming before supporters at a Columbia hotel, Barack Obama said his campaign would continue to seek votes from all Americans of every race, ethnic group and religion. He said the victory here, along with his victory in Iowa and his strong showings in New Hampshire and Nevada, had put his campaign on a strong course to the nomination.

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"After four great contests in every corner of this country, we have the most votes, the most delegates and the most diverse coalition of Americans that we have seen in a long, long time."

Exit polls indicate that Obama won overwhelmingly among black voters, as had been expected, but he also won a much larger percentage of white votes than public opinion surveys had predicted. Race became a factor in the South Carolina contest after Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, made attacks on Obama that troubled some blacks. One prominent black South Carolina Democrat even told the former president publicly that he should tone down his rhetoric.

Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, reacts with her husband, former President Bill Clinton at a rally in Charleston, S.C. 25 Jan 2008
Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, reacts with her husband, former President Bill Clinton at a rally in Charleston, S.C. 25 Jan 2008
Obama won 55 percent of the overall vote. Senator Hillary Clinton received 27 percent, while former Senator John Edwards garnered 18 percent.

Some Obama supporters worried that a lopsided win in South Carolina that was based almost entirely on the black vote would hurt their candidate's chances going forward into other states where whites, latinos and others might view him as a black candidate, not a candidate who transcends race, the image he had started with in winning the caucuses in Iowa, a state that is more than 90 percent white.

In his victory speech here, Obama rejected what he called the assumption that the people of the United States are divided into rigid categories and that they cannot be brought together.

"The assumption that the wealthy care nothing for the poor and that the poor do not vote, the assumption that African Americans cannot support a white candidate and whites can't support the African American candidate, that blacks and latinos cannot come together. We are here tonight to say that is not the America we believe in."

Hillary Clinton left South Carolina after initial vote counts were indicating Obama had won. Speaking to supporters in Nashville, Tennessee, she offered only a brief comment about the Obama victory.

"I want to congratulate Senator Obama tonight and I also want to thank the people of South Carolina for inviting us into their homes and their communities. I want to tell you how excited I am that now the eyes of the country turn to Tennessee and the other states that will be voting on February fifth."

Twenty-two states hold contests on February 5 in what is called Super Tuesday. Clinton has strong organizations in many of the large states that will be at play, including California and New York, but the Obama victory in South Carolina could enhance his stature in some of those states and propel his campaign forward.

Given his lack of a victory in any contest so far, some analysts had thought he might drop out, but others say he may have a strategy of accumulating delegates so that he will have leverage at the Democratic convention. Edwards, however, denies this, saying he continues to see opportunities for victory in coming primaries.

Source: VOA News