Clinton Stuns Pundits and Pollsters

Jan 09, 12:10 AM

Her victory throws the Democratic race into a new phase, with Clinton and Barack Obama expected to battle fiercely for the states ahead, perhaps culminating in a big clash in South Carolina in two and a half weeks. And where many were prepared to crown Obama the nominee over the weekend, the contest now appears to be within either candidate's reach.

Her vision of yeoman work and experience in running government contrasted with the soaring words and poetic vision of Obama, who ran a close second after his first-place win five days ago in Iowa.

A triumphant Clinton _ the new "Comeback Kid" of her family _ got a huge boost from women, 50 percent who voted for her _ almost twice as many as her competitors.

In the five days of the short New Hampshire campaign, Clinton sharpened her punch against Obama and began depicting the race as a choice between words and action.

"I come tonight with a very, very full heart," Clinton said to cheering supporters. "Over the last week I listened to you and in the process, found my own voice."

Clinton said she will fight for American families who find they can't afford health care, college or their mortgages, against large companies that have had too much sway in Washington.

"Too many have been invisible for too long. Well you are not invisible to me," Clinton said.

Obama, in congratulating Clinton on her win, told his supporters that he will continue to carry his message of hope and fundamental change in the political system. Measuring by new voters and overflow crowds, he renewed his vow to fight on, with a ringing refrain of, "Yes we can."

"I am still fired up and ready to go," Obama said. "A few weeks ago no one imagined that we would accomplish what we did tonight in New Hampshire. For most of this campaign we were far behind. We always knew our climb would be steep."

The road through January looks bright for Obama. Nevada holds its caucus next week, and the culinary union is expected give him a lift with its endorsement. On Jan. 26, the race moves to South Carolina, where half of the Democratic voters are black. His strong performances in Iowa and New Hampshire _ states with tiny minority populations _ stand well for him as the campaign heads west and south.

Another breakthrough for Clinton might not appear until Super-Duper Tuesday on Feb. 5, when 21 states go to the polls.

Obama had been polling well in South Carolina.

"African-Americans wanted to know if he could win, and he has proved that," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

"They assumed whites wouldn't vote for a black candidate, and they were willing to settle for Hillary Clinton. Now they don't have to settle," he said.

Obama has hit the defrost button and dissipated much of Clinton's early aura of invincibility, but she won a large amount of empathy Monday by showing an emotional side. She briefly choked up when a woman asked her how she keeps going, and she responded: "It's not easy. It's not easy."

She called in top staff and unleashed thousands of volunteers and an organization with 17 field offices in New Hampshire _ the most of any candidate. But her campaign also became increasingly critical of Obama, saying he was an untested "leap of faith" and ill-prepared to deliver on his promises of change.

Former President Bill Clinton, campaigning for his wife on Monday, called Obama's credit of good judgment on the Iraq war "the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen."

Obama fought back, invoking the dreams of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy as people who worked for their visions and brought about change.

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, was hoping to use New Hampshire to launch a two-way race with Obama but now will have to pin his hopes on South Carolina. He has used a message of populism, saying he is a champion of the middle class who will fight corporate greed. He has attacked Clinton for accepting lobby money and being part of the Washington establishment.

But like every other GOP or Democratic candidate who has seen the electrifying effect of Obama's message on the politics of hope, Edwards also has scrambled to recalibrate and now sells himself as the best agent of change.

"Forty-eight states left to go," Edwards told supporters, vowing to stay in the race to give working and grass-roots Americans a voice in Washington.

"I am in this race," he said, "I expect to be the nominee of my party."

To that effort, Clinton has said that her campaign would evolve, and plans were being announced to add new senior staff, such as Austin, Texas, advertising executive and longtime friend Roy Spence.

"She's a fighter," said senior adviser Ann Lewis. "She gets in there and fights for what she believes in."

While all the candidates have been talking about change, "we only have one candidate who has been out there doing the right thing," Lewis said.

But Lewis said that realistically, the Democratic contest after Tuesday night would become a two-person race.

___

(c) 2008, The Dallas Morning News.

Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

_____

PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): NHPRIMARY

GRAPHICS (from MCT Graphics, 202-383-6064): 20080108 NH results, 20080108 Road ahead

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. 1052245 Clinton Stuns Pundits and Pollsters
Back to Current Headlines