Apr 22, 2008

Bitter numbers

If the numbers hold, Hillary Clinton will have won by a 10-point margin over Barack Obama. That would be a big blow for the Obama campaign, showing he made absolutely no gains since Ohio, which he also lost by 10 points.

A stasis campaign does work to his advantage in that he's already ahead among delegates and in the overall popular vote, but he has absolutely no momentum. As Ron Brownstein pointed out on tonight's Which Way, LA?, the two candidates have split the vote and have become absolutely entrenched. I think Obama is going to look weaker and weaker unless he puts Clinton away. A war of attrition works in Clinton's favor.

Bitter-gate and Rev. Wright undoubtedly hurt him, scaring off middle- and working-class whites. He can take solace in the fact that he doesn't have to run in a Pennsylvania-type state again, but that's not a sign of strength.

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