Clinton Overwhelmingly Wins Puerto Rico

N.Y. Senator Makes Her Case To Superdelegates As Obama Closes In On Magic Number

(CBS/AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton won a lopsided, but largely symbolic victory Sunday in Puerto Rico's presidential primary, the final act in a weekend of tumult that brought Barack Obama tantalizingly close to the Democratic presidential nomination.

With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton was leading Obama 68 percent to 32 percent.

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Puerto Rico Results

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Before cheering supporters in San Juan, she predicted she would have more combined votes than her rival when the primaries end Tuesday night, claimed victories in key swing states and said that no contender will command enough delegates to claim the nomination.

"In the final assessment I ask you to consider these questions. Which candidate best represents the will of the people who voted in this historic election?" Clinton said in an appeal to some 200 uncommitted superdelegates who hold the balance of power in the fight for the nomination.

"Which candidate is best able to lead us to victory in November and which candidate is best able to lead our nation as our president in the face of unprecedented challenges at home and abroad?"

At a rally in Mitchell, South Dakota, Obama congratulated Clinton for her Puerto Rico win.

Senator Clinton is an outstanding public servant," Obama said. "She has worked tirelessly on this campaign, she has been a great Senator for the state of New York and she is going to be a great asset when we go into November to make sure that we defeat the Republicans. That I can promise you."

In a CBS News poll conducted by telephone among likely voters in Puerto Rico, 74 percent of Democrats had a favorable opinion of Clinton, while 53 percent had a favorable opinion of Obama.

Seventy-two percent of those polled in Puerto Rico said that Clinton shares their values, and 54 percent said that Obama does.

Women made up 43 percent of Puerto Rico's likely Democratic voters, and 61 percent of them supported Clinton, while 30 percent backed Obama. Fifty-seven percent of likely voters were men, and they also supported Clinton 61 percent to 35 percent.

Obama's aides indicated that the 46-year-old Illinois senator would amass the 2,118 delegates needed to claim the nomination within days. "We hope this week, absolutely," said spokesman Robert Gibbs. Montana and South Dakota hold primaries on Tuesday, the last of the primary campaign season.

Gibbs' confidence reflected the outcome of Saturday's meeting of the Democratic Party's rules and bylaws committee. Before an audience that jeered and cheered by turns, the panel voted to seat disputed delegations from Michigan and Florida, but give each delegate only one-half vote rather than the full vote sought by the Clinton campaign.

While the decision narrowed the gap between Clinton and Obama, it also erased the former first lady's last, best chance to change the course of the campaign.

Obama has so far won 19 delegates in Puerto Rico, while Clinton has added 42 to her total. Obama had 2,069 delegates to 1,912 for Clinton in the latest CBS News delegate count. 2,118 delegates are now needed to clinch the nomination.

Obama campaigned in South Dakota during the day, while Clinton was in Puerto Rico hoping for a victory celebration.

There are 31 delegates combined at stake in Montana and South Dakota on Tuesday, and Obama's high command sounded confident that enough superdelegates were poised to quickly climb on and deliver him the nomination.

In addition, there have been numerous statements by party leaders in recent days indicating they favor a quick end to the presidential race so the party can begin unifying for the fall race against John McCain, the Arizona senator who wrapped up the Republican nomination months ago.

And while Clinton's campaign said it reserved the right to challenge the decision concerning Michigan's delegates, Speaker Nancy Pelosi rushed out a statement Saturday night that congratulated the committee "for its good work."

The California Democrat has been neutral in the race, but also has been calling uncommitted lawmakers in recent days, urging them to issue their own endorsements soon after Tuesday.

Gibbs also did not rule out the possibility that Obama will seat the Michigan and Florida delegations at full strength if he is the nominee.

"I think any nominee may make some decisions at some point regarding those delegations," he said on ABC's "This Week."

McAuliffe, appearing on the same program, declined to say what Clinton would do. "We'll see where we are when we finish up Tuesday," he said. "Then superdelegates will begin to move."

He, as well as Clinton's communications director, Howard Wolfson, said the former first lady had won more votes that Obama in the course of the primary campaign.

Gibbs disputed that - and Clinton's claim includes the results of Florida, where no campaigning occurred, as well as Michigan, where Obama's name was not on the ballot. Her calculation fails to include caucuses in Iowa, Maine and Washington, all of which Obama won. In those states, delegates were awarded but party officials did not report any popular vote breakdown between the two candidates.

[fireceos]

By the way, if my facts are straight, Puerto Rico can vote in the primary, but not the actual election. How American or Democratic is THAT? The process does need to change. Still the majority have spoken and it looks like Obama is in.

[fireceos]

TruUSA,

No, finally, the PEOPLE have spoken. Hillary is the communist.

[parrot123-2009]

The Democratic party is going to self destruct for good like they almost did 1n 1968. Remember the riots in the streets of Chicago? This time the riots will be right in the convention center. I can see them busting chairs over each others heads, hopefully they are bolted to the floor. LOL
Posted by thgdriver at 05:40 PM : Jun 02, 2008

1968 ????

[parrot123-2009]

We the people will NOT elect a muslim born Junior Senator with no experience with dodgie affiliations, who has not proven anything yet about servind those who elect him - other than furthering his own carrier.
Hell, no... we will NOT.
Posted by retrovvision at 03:00 AM : Jun 03, 2008

You''re saying all this about a SITTING US SENATOR ?? - Even with the lies, it''s only Repugs that fail to see how deficient their argument is.

[retrovvision]

Hey,... taddles2 at 11:16 PM : Jun 02, 2008

Good advice pal, don''t count your chickens before all your eggs hatched.

The People want Hillary Clinton, and that dude, you can do nothing about. Luckily the working population and families who have to feed the kids don''t have to rely on "college kids" who can''t make a sound judgement. College kids with voting rights don''t even realise what is at stake, they look at Presidential elections as just another "ball game" or even a "pop-idol" contest.

We the people will NOT elect a muslim born Junior Senator with no experience with dodgie affiliations, who has not proven anything yet about servind those who elect him - other than furthering his own carrier.
Hell, no... we will NOT.

GO HILLARY!!! We will vote you in as a Democrat, or as a People''s choice!!!

[taddles2]

"Hillary is the most qualified candidate to be the President! She''''s got ideas, solutions,and wide range of experiences spanning 35 years...

Posted by francise223 at 08:08 PM : Jun 02, 2008"


Too bad she''s losing huh.

[omaar-101]

Total Delegate Count

NUMBERS TELL THE TRUTH, PEOPLE LIE, NUMBERS TELL THE TRUTH !!

OBAMA HAS WON OVER 17 MILLION VOTES ..

OVER 17 MILLION, ALL OBAMA HAS TO DO IS HAVE ANOTHER DEMOCRATIC FEMALE VP, ACCEPT THE 15-20% OF THE 17 MILLION VOTERS THAT VOTED FOR HILLARY, THAT MAY NOT VOTE FOR HIM, FROM HILLARY`S BITTER CAMP AND MOVE ONWARD.

Democrats | (2,118) Needed to Clinch

OBAMA (2,075)

CLINTON 1,913

EDWARDS 10
Republicans | 1,191 Needed to Clinch
MCCAIN 1,399
HUCKABEE 231
ROMNEY 149

CBS News estimates. Includes super delegates.

[francise223]

Hillary is the most qualified candidate to be the President! She''s got ideas, solutions,and wide range of experiences spanning 35 years...

It is blatant that Dean, Pelosi and Reid are harassing and intimidating her to quit. It is just reported that Pelosi and Reid will begin to harass super delegates in Congress (House and Senate) to premature decide too this week when their votes which may change back and forth will NOT be counted until August Convention.

All the way to Denver Hillary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thgdriver]

Nobama was the one who took himself out of the Michigan primary vote, he did not have to do that but that is what he did. Hillary on the other hand stayed on in the balloting.

Why should he be given almost half plus 4 more of hers?

He should be receiving 0, none, nix, Nada, ETC.

The Democratic party is going to self destruct for good like they almost did 1n 1968. Remember the riots in the streets of Chicago? This time the riots will be right in the convention center. I can see them busting chairs over each others heads, hopefully they are bolted to the floor. LOL

[downsteamjim]

To francis223: Why don''t you go to the fair and buy a vanity or do you have too much vanity to go to the fair?

[francise223]

Will Vanity Fair magazine July issue slander President Clinton to distract Hillary from fighting for and winning nomination in August and White House in November?

[francise223]

Will Vanity Fair magazine July issue slander President Clinton to distract Hillary from fighting for and winning nomination in August and White House in November?

[francise223]

Will Vanity Fair magazine July issue slander President Clinton to distract Hillary from fighting for and winning nomination in August and White House in November?

[downsteamjim]

To Libra127: Fortunately Howard Dean was interviewed when the moon wasn''t full.

[libra127]

Howard Dean, Chair of the DNC, said on ABC''s "This Week" on Sunday:

"There has been an enormous amount of sexism in this campaign on the part of the media, including the mainstream media...there have been major networks that have featured numerous outrageous comments that if the words were reversed and they were about race, the people would have been fired....What you don''''t get over is deep wounds that have been inflicted on somebody because they happen to be a woman running for president of the United States."

[acincinnatus]

UNDISPUTED FACTS:

1. Hillary won in 17 large, mostly BLUE states (and 297 electoral college votes) Democrats have any realistic chance of winning %u2013 Arizona (10), Arkansas (6), California (55), Nevada (5), New York (31), New Jersey (15), Texas (34), Tennessee (11), Ohio (20), Florida (27), Michigan (17), Pennsylvania (21), Kentucky (8), New Mexico (5), Massachusetts (12), West Virginia (5), Indiana (11), Rhode Island (4), and Puerto Rico (Commonwealth).

2. She already proves she can take 297 electoral votes. To become president you need only 270.

3. These mostly BLUE states have the majority of the Electoral College votes - which determines the presidency.

4. Unfortunately, Obama won in mostly RED states where mostly GOP out number democrats 3:1 - so it''''s Gore, Kerry, and McGovern all over again. Even if Obama could win there - it''''s only 199 electoral votes.

Therefore, as we much as we once respected Obama, until he didn%u2019t offer Hillary the VP spot to unify the party, he is not going to beat McCain.

[leftyintexas]

Will Vanity Fair magazine July issue slander President Clinton to distract Hillary from fighting for and winning nomination in August and White House in November?
Posted by francise223 at 03:29 PM : Jun 02, 2008

I''m sure you will fill us in. Ha!Ha!Ha!

[j-whitman]

francise223,,, Wasn''t Condi Mushroom Cloud Rice on the cover of Vanity Fair ????

[francise223]

Will Vanity Fair magazine July issue slander President Clinton to distract Hillary from fighting for and winning nomination in August and White House in November?

[francise223]

Will Vanity Fair magazine July issue slander President Clinton to distract Hillary from fighting for and winning nomination in August?