Success in Ohio and Texas keeps Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign alive

Published on Wednesday 5 March 2008 01:43

HILLARY Clinton pledged to "make history" today as she revived her ailing campaign in Texas and Ohio in the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

Mrs Clinton's victories over Barack Obama come as many observers were writing off her chances of staying in the race following a string of 11 consecutive wins for the young Illinois senator since Super Tuesday.

But Mr Obama remains in a strong position in terms of support from the party's delegates, who will select their nominee at the national convention this summer, and the race is now far from over.

In the Republican contest, John McCain swept Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, giving the battle-scarred former Vietnam prisoner of war enough delegates to officially secure the party's nomination.

Mike Huckabee, Mr McCain's closest rival in the Republican presidential campaign, pulled out of the race on Tuesday night after disapppointing showings in all four states.

Remaining US primaries and caucuses:

MARCH

March 8: Wyoming (Democratic only)

March 11: Mississippi

APRIL

April 22: Pennsylvania

MAY

May 6: Indiana, North Carolina

May 13: Nebraska, West Virginia

May 16-18: Hawaii Republican Party state convention; delegates selected during a week-long process.

May 20: Kentucky, Oregon

May 27: Idaho (Republican only)

JUNE

June 3: Montana, New Mexico (Republican only), South Dakota

AUGUST

Aug. 25-28: Democratic National Convention in Denver

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 1-4: Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

NOVEMBER

Nov. 4: Election Day

Kissing his wife on her cheek, Mr McCain thanked his family and friends for their support and praised Mr Huckabee as a "great and fine and decent" American.

Mr Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, said it had been a "journey of a lifetime", that he had fought a good fight, and "kept the faith", but that it was now time to turn his attention towards a united party, "a party that indeed comes together on those principles that have brought many of us, not just to this race, but to politics in general".

Wearing bright red at her campaign headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, Mrs Clinton said: "For everyone here in Ohio and across America who's ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out; for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up; and for everyone who works hard but never gives up; this one is for you."

To loud cheers of "Hillary, Hillary, Hillary", she said: "You know what they say, 'As Ohio goes, so goes the nation'.

"Well, this nation's coming back and so is this campaign.

"The people of Ohio have said loudly and clearly, 'We're going on, we're going strong and we're going all the way'."

She highlighted some of the differences between her policies and those of Mr Obama and, referring to his rhetoric and inspirational speeches, she said when there was an emergency in the world there was "no time for speeches and on-the-job training".

It was the same message she had aired in a political attack advertisement in the run-up to the contests – one of a series of attacks which many observers believe led to Mrs Clinton's successes in Texas and Ohio.

She said she was looking forward to continuing her dialogue with Mr Obama "on the issues that matter most to our country" and said she would "make history" in America.

Referring to her campaign and the American people, she said: "Together we will turn promises into action, words into solutions and hope into reality.

"Together we will seize this moment, lift this nation, and heal and lead this world."

Mr Obama congratulated Mrs Clinton for running a "hard fought race", but focused his speech on November's general election and the Republicans.

Speaking in San Antonio, Texas, before that state's results were known, he said: "No matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we did this morning and we are on our way to winning this nomination."

Turning to the general election and Mr McCain, he said: "Now in the weeks to come we will begin a great debate about the future of this country with a man who has served it bravely and loved it dearly."

He said Mr McCain may claim "a long history of straight-talk and independent thinking" but in this campaign "he has fallen in line with the very same policies that have ill-served America".

"He has seen where George Bush has taken this country and he promises to keep us on the very same course," Mr Obama said to a chorus of boos.

He said this was the same course that continued to "divide and isolate" America by substituting "bluster and bullying" for diplomacy as Mr Obama referred to criticism of his plans to sit down for talks with the leaders of Iran and Cuba as president.

"Strong countries and strong leaders aren't afraid to tell hard truths to petty dictators," he said.

He used his speech to answer his critics in both parties as he said: "John McCain and Hillary Clinton have echoed each other, dismissing this call for change as eloquent but empty, speeches not solutions.

But he said his call for change did not begin with his words, but with Americans across the nation calling for change.

Mr Obama said he was calling for a change which would allow young Americans to go abroad and hold their head high when people ask where they came from.

"You can call it many things, but you can't call it empty," he said.

Referring to this week's political attacks he said: "If I am the nominee of this party, I will not allow us to be distracted by the same politics that seeks to divide us with false charges and meaningless labels."

He said he would not stand for the kind of politics that "used religion as a wedge and patriotism as a bludgeon".

"The world is watching what we do here," Mr Obama said.

"The world is paying attention to how we conduct ourselves, what we say, and how we treat one another."

Exit polls in Ohio showed Mrs Clinton won the support of blue-collar voters (56% to Mr Obama's 43%) and voters over 60 (67% to 31%).

In Texas, Hispanics, who make up around 40% of the Democratic electorate, also backed Mrs Clinton, 64% to 35%.

But African Americans, who make up about a fifth of voters in the state, backed Mr Obama 83% to 16%.

While Mrs Clinton won the Texas primary, Ohio and Rhode Island, Mr Obama took Vermont.

But Texas uses a complex system, known as the "Texas two-step", to allocate delegates to candidates and results from its caucuses, which will decide the final third of the state's delegates, are not yet known.