- Title: USA: Obama and Clinton campaign ahead of Kentucky and Oregon primaries
- Date: 20th May 2008
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) ZOE SALEEM, OREGON CAB DRIVER, SAYING: "Oh it's excellent. People are so excited. I just heard 75,000 for Obama, BALLOT DROP BOXES IN PIONEER SQUARE TWO MEN WALKING UP TO BOXES AND DROPPING BALLOTS LOW ANGLE SHOT OF MAN FEEDING FOUR BALLOTS INTO BOX
- Embargoed: 4th June 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA2T00P9Q28KYWB3O8VVD0YXVY0
- Story Text: With campaigning reaching a fever pitch ahead of Tuesday's (May 20) Democratic primary in Kentucky, there is a palpable sense of purpose and a buzz of excitement at the "Hillary for president" headquarters in downtown Lexington.
Their candidate is holding a significant lead of 27 percentage points over her rival Barack Obama and, while her advantage in Kentucky belied her underdog status nationally, she used one of her many campaign stops to warn Obama of prematurely declaring himself victor.
"We have a very close contest, the votes, the delegates and this is nowhere near over, none of us is going to have the number of delegates we're going to need to get the nomination."
On the streets too, with fewer than 24 hours before polls open, the Clinton campaign continues in earnest. None of the volunteers are willing to believe that, while Clinton is likely to win Kentucky by a wide margin, she cannot catch her rival nationally by attracting more superdelegates to her side.
Volunteer Chris Smith suggested the US media had written Clinton off and that the race is not over.
"The national media wants everyone to think it's over to in order to make Hillary supporters doubt and not go out and vote to support her but we know better, we know this thing's not over yet", he said.
Barack Obama meanwhile has barely set foot in Kentucky, realising early on that the odds of winning were against him from the start. Instead he's been campaigning in Obama-friendly Oregon. He told supporters "let's face it, nobody thought a 46-year-old black guy named Barack Obama was going to be the Democratic nominee."
Despite his expected loss in Kentucky the Obama campaign, like Clinton's, is working the phones and doing all it can to bring as many of the 51 delegates up for grabs, over to Obama. For the volunteers it's important work.
"There needs to be a change in the politics of the United States.
and I feel that he will win the election." said Obama volunteer Deborah Paul-Arnold. " I know he's not going to win here in Kentucky but that does not deter my vote. I still will get lout and campaign and phone solicit for him."
Barack Obama does enjoy limited support in Kentucky but, overwhelmingly, this is Clinton country, even if some households agree to disagree.
Jennifer Palmieri from the Centre for American Progress in Washington, D.C., told Reuters, "I think that Obama's quickly becoming the presumptive nominee. Obviously, it would be better from Barack Obama's point of view, if he were winning these late states and if he were winning states that were largely white voters a opposed to winning by sort of running out the clock."
Obama and Clinton will also face off in Oregon on May 20 in the state-by-state process to determine who will take on Republican John McCain in the November presidential election.
Oregon conducts its elections by mail. Registered voters receive ballots two to three weeks before the election date, though they can also vote at an election office if they wish.
Oregonians were required to mail their ballots in by Thursday, May 15.
After that day, ballots can be dropped off in person at designated ballot boxes through out the state.
Voters are excited about participating in this primary. Politically, Oregon is split between liberal voters in large cities like Portland and conservatives in the rural east and south.
Democrat Al Gore narrowly carried the state in the 2000 presidential election, while Democrat John Kerry defeated Republican President George W.
Bush 51 percent to 47 percent in 2004. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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