Sen. Hillary Clinton has won Tennessee's Democratic primary election, leaving her with a significant portion of the state's 85 delegates.
The former first lady defeated her only remaining Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, with 58 percent of the votes to his 36.
For the first time in decades, Tennessee’s Democratic delegates could have a significant effect on the nomination.
As Clinton is still neck to neck with rival Obama, every delegate on Super Tuesday will weigh heavily on the outcome of the primary elections.
To this point, Clinton has officially been awarded six of the state's 85 delegates.
Both candidates launched campaigns and paid staffs in the state of Tennessee, however, Clinton was the only to visit the state in person.Obama was the first to campaign in Tennessee, with a series of commercials that began airing in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga in early January. Soon after, Clinton launched a television campaign in the same cities.
Last week, Clinton spoke to a crowd of 2,000 supporters in Nashville at Tennessee State University, attending church the next day in Memphis. Obama followed suit by sending his foreign policy adviser to speak at TSU rally later in the week.
Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, and husband Bill have also made various stops on the campaign trail in Tennessee leading up to Super Tuesday.
We’re very excited by our strong victories in Oklahoma and Tennessee. These are the first two states where both candidates competed fiercely. Hillary Clinton's Campaign
“We’re very excited by our strong victories in Oklahoma and Tennessee,” the Clinton campaign said in a statement. “These are the first two states where both candidates competed fiercely. For months, the Obama campaign has been spinning that they have a monopoly on red states; tonight we showed that they don’t. With these first two victories, Hillary Clinton has demonstrated that she can compete and win in red states.
While Clinton came away with a victory overall in Tennesse, Obama was favored 52 to 41 percent among voters aged 18-24.
With a lead of at least 43 percent in every age bracket, Obama's support from black voters was overwhelming.
50 percent of Knox county voters supported Clinton to Obama's 44 percent.Both campaigns received big-name endorsements in the Volunteer state. Former Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter supported Clinton, while Obama was backed by U.S. Representatives Jim Cooper of Nashville and Steve Cohen of Memphis.
Comments
Clionton 2008 commented, on February 6, 2008 at 7:37 a.m.:
If you are still undecided today then here’s a thought: If you want REAL change and we all do, you have to have a change agent that knows the system and has the contacts to create that change. Democratic nominee will be attacked by the Republican Party and, more importantly slimy political world that surrounds the GOP. These ‘independent’ organizations have a sole purpose: to attack relentlessly, in the most vicious possible ways. Who is best equipped to handle the vicious, continuous attacks that the other side will launch? So who could best stand up and fight? Hillary Clinton has, as she has said, taken this incoming fire for 15 years or more. She’s been unfairly attacked by mainstream media and men who fear a strong intelligent woman like Ted Kennedy. Shes been accused of everything thing the media and obama camp can think of and yet she’s still the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination. She’s proven after super Tuesday shes tougher than boot leather while having a human side. Those are assets that our candidate needs. Hillary Clinton has developed thick skin and the ability to remain calm in campaign combat. Yet, she also knows how to listen to the American people. Qualifications? She’s a successful, liberal US Senator. She’s won a Senate election that by fighting back and campaigning in the non-traditional places in NY. She went to conservative, Republican based northern rural areas and won them over with smart policies, substantive talk and the fact she simply listened! In that most unlikely of places, she won with 67% of the vote. And then in 2006 she won re-election.
I like that she sticks to policy and not continuous personal attacks when she talks, but I also like that she also takes the time to listen when she’s campaigning. (I can testify that having a candidate disciplined enough to force herself to listen to others when it would be so much easier to rush to the next event is unusual in itself.)
I am convinced that Hillary is strong where others, including Barack Obama, would be weak and inexperienced. She will fight the filth machine of the other side with vigor and calmness. She knows how to outmaneuver them.
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