Sen. John McCain wins the Florida Republican Primary, 36-31 percent over Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney will continue into Super Tuesday but press reports indicate former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who got 15 percent in Florida, will drop out and endorse Sen. McCain on Monday in California. Iowa Caucus winner Mike Huckabee trailed in fourth place with 13 percent of the vote.
A big win for Sen. McCain.
January 30, 2008
January 29, 2008
Republican Primary Update in Florida
Close to half the votes are in and it is still a close race in favor of Sen. McCain.
But the more populous region of Florida, its southern counties, are beginning to come in and early vote totals show that these counties are going for Sen. McCain. There are very few votes in from these counties as of yet but the signs are encouraging for the senator from Arizona.
Sen. McCain is now up by three percentage points from two with 45 percent of the vote in.
But the more populous region of Florida, its southern counties, are beginning to come in and early vote totals show that these counties are going for Sen. McCain. There are very few votes in from these counties as of yet but the signs are encouraging for the senator from Arizona.
Sen. McCain is now up by three percentage points from two with 45 percent of the vote in.
Democrats in Florida
The Democrats are also holding a primary in Florida but under very unusual circumstances. Because Florida moved its primary date up, in defiance of the Democratic Party's national committee, there are no delegates at stake as the DNC (Democratic National Committee) voted to strip Florida of its delegate total.
In addition, candidates on the Democratic Party side, did not campaign heavily in the state, although some held fundraisers there. In that race, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York was projected the winner over Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois with 37 percent of the vote in. She has 49 percent of the vote, Sen. Obama has 30 percent and former 2004 vice presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator John Edwards has 15 percent.
Sen. Clinton has said she would advocate that Florida get its delgates back immediately setting off a controversy.
Earlier in the week, influential Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts endorsed Sen. Obama as did the daughter of the late president John F. Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy. This was viewed by analysts here as a major setback for Sen. Clinton and a development that made this race even tighter.
The three main Democratic Party contenders will head into the 22-state marathon on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5. Sen. Clinton is given a slight advantage but analysts also think the Super Tuesday voting will not be decisive in annointing a winner.
This race, too, will likely go on past Feb. 5.
In addition, candidates on the Democratic Party side, did not campaign heavily in the state, although some held fundraisers there. In that race, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York was projected the winner over Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois with 37 percent of the vote in. She has 49 percent of the vote, Sen. Obama has 30 percent and former 2004 vice presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator John Edwards has 15 percent.
Sen. Clinton has said she would advocate that Florida get its delgates back immediately setting off a controversy.
Earlier in the week, influential Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts endorsed Sen. Obama as did the daughter of the late president John F. Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy. This was viewed by analysts here as a major setback for Sen. Clinton and a development that made this race even tighter.
The three main Democratic Party contenders will head into the 22-state marathon on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5. Sen. Clinton is given a slight advantage but analysts also think the Super Tuesday voting will not be decisive in annointing a winner.
This race, too, will likely go on past Feb. 5.
Big Night Tonight for Republicans in Florida
As we speak, Republican voters in Florida are voting in a very important primary there. Sen. John McCain, winner of the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries is competing against former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, victor in the Michigan primary and Nevada caucus. Also in in the race is former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Early exit polls show a very tight race with a slight advantage to Sen. McCain over Gov. Romney. Mayor Giuliani appears to be in third.
If Sen. McCain wins, he will get momentum heading into the 21-state marathon on Tuesday, Feb. 5. If Gov. Romney wins, that will scramble the Republican race even further, making him the front runner. Analysts are speculating whether or not former Mayor Giuiliani would stay in the race if he comes in third. Mayor Giuliani did not compete in the early primaries, instead, gambling everything on this election.
Another candidate in the race is the winner of the Iowa caucus for the Republicans, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
With 37 percent of the votes in, it is very tight--Sen. McCain 34 percent, Gov. Romney, 32 percent; Mayor Giuliani, 15 percent; Gov. Huckabee, 13 percent.
This one could go down to the wire.
Early exit polls show a very tight race with a slight advantage to Sen. McCain over Gov. Romney. Mayor Giuliani appears to be in third.
If Sen. McCain wins, he will get momentum heading into the 21-state marathon on Tuesday, Feb. 5. If Gov. Romney wins, that will scramble the Republican race even further, making him the front runner. Analysts are speculating whether or not former Mayor Giuiliani would stay in the race if he comes in third. Mayor Giuliani did not compete in the early primaries, instead, gambling everything on this election.
Another candidate in the race is the winner of the Iowa caucus for the Republicans, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
With 37 percent of the votes in, it is very tight--Sen. McCain 34 percent, Gov. Romney, 32 percent; Mayor Giuliani, 15 percent; Gov. Huckabee, 13 percent.
This one could go down to the wire.
January 27, 2008
South Carolina Democratic Party Primary Goes for Sen. Barack Obama
It was expected that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, would win in the Democratic Party Presidential Primary on Saturday in South Carolina. What was not expected was the size of his victory.
He won 55 percent of the vote with rivals Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and former senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards receiving 27 and 18 percent of the vote respectively. Sen. Obama did well among all demographic groups in his victory which now sends the Democrats in the 22-state marathon on Feb. 5, "Super Tuesday."
There are several subtexts to this vote though that bear watching for the Democrats on Super Tuesday. According to exit polls in South Carolina, Sen. Obama received 80 percent of the votes of African-American males and 77 percent of the votes of African-American females; those numbers for white Democratic Party primary voters in South Carolina were 27 percent and 22 percent, respectively. Sen. Clinton for her part, won non-black women over the age of 60 and former Sen. Edwards won among non-blacks aged 30-59.
In the aftermath of the election, analysts were mulling over these figures and how they might be interpreted in states that vote on Feb. 5 in Democratic primaries. South Carolina's Democratic Party primary electorate was 54 percent African-American, a total not likely to be matched in the states casting ballots on Super Tuesday. But Sen. Obama's win in Iowa (93 percent white Democratic Party primary electorate) and Sen. Cilnton's win in Nevada with help from the party's Hispanic voters show that it is hard to predict whether the voting on Feb. 5 will prove decisive. Several analysts are already on record saying it will not.
There will be more on the impact of this election but the consensus among Washington analysts is that the race is still wide open and has come down to a two-person contest between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton. It seems former Sen. Edwards will stay in the race and he could play a significant role at the convention if neither of the two front-runners can achieve a majority of the delegates needed to secure the nomination.
He won 55 percent of the vote with rivals Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and former senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards receiving 27 and 18 percent of the vote respectively. Sen. Obama did well among all demographic groups in his victory which now sends the Democrats in the 22-state marathon on Feb. 5, "Super Tuesday."
There are several subtexts to this vote though that bear watching for the Democrats on Super Tuesday. According to exit polls in South Carolina, Sen. Obama received 80 percent of the votes of African-American males and 77 percent of the votes of African-American females; those numbers for white Democratic Party primary voters in South Carolina were 27 percent and 22 percent, respectively. Sen. Clinton for her part, won non-black women over the age of 60 and former Sen. Edwards won among non-blacks aged 30-59.
In the aftermath of the election, analysts were mulling over these figures and how they might be interpreted in states that vote on Feb. 5 in Democratic primaries. South Carolina's Democratic Party primary electorate was 54 percent African-American, a total not likely to be matched in the states casting ballots on Super Tuesday. But Sen. Obama's win in Iowa (93 percent white Democratic Party primary electorate) and Sen. Cilnton's win in Nevada with help from the party's Hispanic voters show that it is hard to predict whether the voting on Feb. 5 will prove decisive. Several analysts are already on record saying it will not.
There will be more on the impact of this election but the consensus among Washington analysts is that the race is still wide open and has come down to a two-person contest between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton. It seems former Sen. Edwards will stay in the race and he could play a significant role at the convention if neither of the two front-runners can achieve a majority of the delegates needed to secure the nomination.
January 26, 2008
South Carolina Primary Election for Democrats
Tonight, Jan. 26, marks an important primary election for the Democratic Party and its presidential nomination process.
Democratic Party voters in the southern U.S. state of South Carolina are currently voting their choice for presidential nominee. The main choices are Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and former Senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee, John Edwards of South Carolina (Sen. Edwards was born in South Carolina but represented North Carolina in the U.S. Senate).
The polling data in advance of the election shows that Sen. Obama has a double-digit lead in several surveys over Sen. Clinton and John Edwards.
Most analysts here believe it is critical that Sen. Obama come away with a significant victory as he has lost the last two contests in Nevada and New Hampshire. Sen. Edwards also needs a win in the state where he was born. Sen. Clinton has victories in New Hampshire, Nevada, and a contest in Michigan in which she was the only candidate and with no delegates at stake.
I'll have a lot more on the process and what delegates are later but this should be an interesting race. Results on the VOA webpage (www.voanews.com) and I'll have details on it Sunday.
Democratic Party voters in the southern U.S. state of South Carolina are currently voting their choice for presidential nominee. The main choices are Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and former Senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee, John Edwards of South Carolina (Sen. Edwards was born in South Carolina but represented North Carolina in the U.S. Senate).
The polling data in advance of the election shows that Sen. Obama has a double-digit lead in several surveys over Sen. Clinton and John Edwards.
Most analysts here believe it is critical that Sen. Obama come away with a significant victory as he has lost the last two contests in Nevada and New Hampshire. Sen. Edwards also needs a win in the state where he was born. Sen. Clinton has victories in New Hampshire, Nevada, and a contest in Michigan in which she was the only candidate and with no delegates at stake.
I'll have a lot more on the process and what delegates are later but this should be an interesting race. Results on the VOA webpage (www.voanews.com) and I'll have details on it Sunday.
Welcome to the VOA Elections Blog
Welcome to the VOA Elections Blog. For the remainder of the election season, I, along with my VOA colleagues, will be posting about the U.S. presidential election, and try to explain exactly what is happening so everyone around the world will understand our process a little better.
Any questions or comments, please feel free to post and we will answer as best we can.
I will try and write often about the process, personalities, and the context of these elections that will unfold in the next few months.
So stay tuned and follow the elections both here and on the VOA home page (www.voanews.com) and thanks for stopping by!
Neal Lavon
VOA
Washington
Any questions or comments, please feel free to post and we will answer as best we can.
I will try and write often about the process, personalities, and the context of these elections that will unfold in the next few months.
So stay tuned and follow the elections both here and on the VOA home page (www.voanews.com) and thanks for stopping by!
Neal Lavon
VOA
Washington
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