Obama takes the initiative with three more states

Published on Sunday 10 February 2008 01:44

BARACK Obama has won three more states - Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington state - to boost his chances of being the Democratic candidate in November's US elections.

The Illinois senator won the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska and Washington state, while also notching a victory in the US Virgin Islands.

The first-term senator's winning margins were substantial, ranging from roughly two-thirds of the vote in Washington and Nebraska to nearly 90 per cent in the Virgin Islands.

"Today, voters from the West Coast to the Gulf Coast to the heart of America stood up to say 'yes we can"' Obama told a cheering audience of Democrats at a party dinner in Richmond, Virginia.

Clinton preceded Obama to the podium. She did not refer to the night's voting, instead turning against McCain. "We have tried it President Bush's way," the former first lady said, "and now the Republicans have chosen more of the same."

She left quickly after her speech, departing before Obama's arrival. But his supporters made their presence known, sending up chants of "Obama" from the audience as she exited.

In all, the Democrats scrapped for 161 delegates in the night's contests. In incomplete allocations, Obama won 72, Clinton 40.

In overall totals for the race so far, Clinton had 1,095 delegates to 1,070 for Obama. A total of 2,025 delegates is required to win the nomination at the national convention in Denver in late August.

Today Obama and Clinton compete in caucuses in Maine, where 24 delegates are at stake.

Meanwhile, in the Republican race, John McCain flunked his first ballot test since becoming the nominee-in-waiting, losing Kansas and Louisiana to Mike Huckabee.

McCain won the night's third Republican race, in Washington state.

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, got nearly 60 per cent of the caucus vote in Kansas, winning all 36 delegates at stake.

He also won the Louisiana primary, but fell short of 50 per cent, the threshold necessary to pocket the 20 delegates that were available.

Huckabee was still hopelessly behind McCain with his 719 delegates out of a total 1,191 needed to secure the Republican nomination. The preacher-turned-politician had 234 delegates.

He is now the only major opponent for McCain, who has rolled up more than 700 of the 1,191 delegates needed to win the Republican nomination at this summer's convention, although Texan Ron Paul also remains in the race.

McCain continues to face widespread opposition from conservatives unhappy with his views on immigration, tax cuts and other issues.

Huckabee promised at a conference of conservative activists to continue his shoestring campaign, which has made inroads with social and religious conservatives.

"Am I quitting? Let's get that settled right now. No, I'm not," he said to cheers at a Washington hotel.

He promised to continue at least until McCain clinched the nomination.

"I know that I won't drop out until at least that happens and then we'll see," he said while denying he was hoping to become McCain's vice-presidential running mate.

He shrugged off a call from Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a McCain supporter, urging him to drop out. "Since he was endorsing my opponent, it rang a little hollow to me," Huckabee added.

"I did not major in math, but I majored in miracles, and I still believe in them," Huckabee said at a rally at the University of Maryland in College Park.