Obama scores decisive win in South Carolina

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Title: Obama scores decisive win in South Carolina
Date: January 27th, 2008
Source: CBC.ca
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/world/usvotes/story/2008/01/26/south-carolina-primary.html


Article Summary:

Obama has won the South Carolina primary with a landslide, securing 55 per cent of votes over Hilary Clinton's 27 per cent. John Edwards only had 18 per cent, even though he had won Carolinas during the last Democratic presidential campaign over John Kerry.

This is a critical victory for Obama, who had lost twice to Clinton in Nevada and New Hempshire. With this landslide victory, the race is now renewed. In fact, Clinton and Obama are tied in the number of states they had won.

Obama received 81 per cent of the Black votes, but only 24 per cent from the Whites. Yet, Obama dismissed the possibility of "racial block," reminding his victory in Iowa, a state where 94 per cent of its population is white.

Now the candidates are concentraining their efforts on Super Tuesday. Hilary seems to be leading in polls at the moment, having landslide support in California and Massachusetts. However, the polls show that no runner will be able to win enough number of delegates to win the race. This means that the race will continue even long after the Super Tuesday.


Byun's Opinion:

It was truly amazig to see the dramatic rise of Barrack Obama throughout the last two years. When I heard his name as a potential Democratic presidential candidate, in fact, I neither knew him nor really cared about who he was. Though I wasn't a fan of Hilary Clinton, I had to admit that she was going to get the Democratic ticket for sure.

But Obama was not a typical politician. His charisma and his powerful urge for change began to gain momentum among the Americans. In fact, it was a huge surprise when Obama outmanuevered Clinton in the fundraising competition. Though his polls were still significantly lower than that of Clinton, his rise was limitless. Indeed, he managed to pull his support rate up to Clinton just before the Democrat primaries began.

His suprising victory in Iowa was quite amazing. Saying "thank you" for more than nine times, his victory speech was considered one of the best speeches ever made. And the polls showed that Obama was going to win New Hempshire easily too.

But Clinton did not die. By winning New Hempshire, followed by another close victory in Nevada, Clinton showed that she was still standing strong. Obama, on the other hand, had to win South Carolina in order continue his campaigns properly. So this victory in South Carolina was basically a critical life-saving one for Obama.

And I am deeply interested in predicing how the Super Tuesday primaries will turn out. Clinton is currently ahead of Obama in large states such as California and Massachusetts; however, we do not know how the result will turn out.

One bad thing about South Carolina is that it is seen by many as a racial blocking. In fact, Obama had received the majority of the Black votes, but had won only 24 per cent of the white people. This clearly shows there is still a racial segregration tendency in the United States of America (no wonder it is a southern state).

I hope that the American politics will someday overcome this racial conflict problems someday in the near future.
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