McClatchy asks the key question: Clinton scores big win in W.Va., but does it matter?
UPDATE: Clinton slammed Obama by thirty-five points.
SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE WEST VIRGINIA WIN: I've been poking around at some data tonight to see what sort of picture is coming out of West Virginia tonight. The press declared this race over last week and, after tonight, you'll see the narrative from Obama supporters and the media (but I repeat myself) say the results mean nothing. However, the superdelegates ought to be on edge. Important demographics -- white working-class voters, the elderly, Catholics, Jews -- just have not gotten behind Obama. And this demographic has been the core of the Democratic Party for decades. Liberal bloggers and the media like to respond that Hillary Clinton's supporters are racists (see this Washington Post story; anyone else feel that one or two claims of racism was twisted into a large expose?), but if Obama cannot carry key demographics, then how is he going to perform in November? Obama just can't seem to gain traction in places like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, which will be key for the general election.
Hillary still has a daunting challenge ahead of her in the delegate and superdelegate counts. However, that Obama hasn't made any significant traction among important demographics might mean we see superdelegates switching sides yet again. Superdelegates are not obligated to vote for the candidate they express support for (see Joe Andrews), and seeing landslide victories like Clinton picked up tonight might reinvigorate the campaign.
Additional thoughts from Andrew Sullivan, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, DKos, Red State, Jerome Armstrong, Stephen Green, Townhall, Slublog, South Dakota Moderate, and Comments from Left Field.
MORE: Matthew Yglesias:
Her campaign is rescued from the dead. As the Clinton campaign sagely points out "no Democrat has won the White House without winning West Virginia since 1916" and therefore Obama’s primary loss shows that despite his large lead in the polls over John McCain, he can’t possible win the election.
What’s even more interesting is that no Democrat has won the White House without carrying Minnesota since 1912 (it went for Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose party) so given that Obama won Minnesota and Clinton won West Virginia, McCain is guaranteed to win the general election unless the eventual nominee can somehow completely replicate the social and political conditions prevailing in pre-WWI America."
YET MORE: Talkleft: "The Democrats need PA and Ohio. Hillary can win those states and other big swing and toss-up states. Barack Obama's ability to win them is unknown. He's untested. Hillary may have shown him how to be a stronger candidate, but she can't guide him to the finish line, no matter how hard she campaigns for him if he's the nominee"
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