Is Obamania Taking Over?

Barack Obama has won a decisive victory in Wisconsin, cutting into demographic groups that were said to be Clinton strongholds. With 97% of precincts reporting, Obama took 58% (38 delegates) to Clinton’s 41% (27 delegates). Much later in the evening, the Hawaii caucus became yet a 10^th straight Obama victory. With 68% reporting, Obama has 76% of the vote and Clinton 24%. Hawaii was Senator Obama’s birthplace.

Photo: Is Obamania Taking Over?

Clinton did not speak of her defeat, and showed no sign of conceding her loss during an appearance in Youngstown, Ohio. While Clinton was still speaking, many cable stations cut away when Senator Obama started his speech to supporters at the same time, which is perceived as a statement on the part of those outlets. “The change we seek is still months and miles away," Obama told an enthusiastic crowd in Houston.

It would seem that people in the US are responding to the message of hope and change. Crowds are enthusiastic and they have corporate elitist media scratching their heads calling Obama supporters a CULT. The Clintons and the media have been having a field day criticizing Senator Obama for having the audacity to quote Martin Luther King, Jr. “I have a dream” and “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal ” from the Declaration of Independence and FDR, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.”

Are there copyrights on those words? Is there something wrong with quoting that which is noble and excellent? Throughout time, leaders have been invoking the great words of past and present heroes, orators, movers and shakers. So what? The charge of plagiarism is as ridiculous as it is irrelevant.

On the Republican side, John McCain came closer to locking the Republican nomination, getting ever closer to that magic number with wins in Wisconsin and Washington State. With 97% of precincts reporting, McCain received 55% (22 delegates), Huckabee 37% , Paul 5% and Romney 2%. In the State of Washington, McCain won with 49%, Huckabee 21%, Romney 20%, Paul 7%. Mike Huckabee vows to stay in the race.

In a pusillanimous attack on Obama, McCain said, "I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure that Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change."

Ohio and Texas vote next on March 4 — 370 convention delegates in all — and even some Clinton supporters concede she must win one, and possibly both, to remain competitive. Latest delegate totals: Obama has 1,341, and Clinton has 1,257; McCain 895 and Huckabee 242. Most of Wisconsin's delegates are still to be allocated. It takes 2,025 to win the Democratic Party nomination. On Wednesday, there will be a televised debate between Obama and Clinton in Texas.

Lisa KARPOVA

PRAVDA.Ru

USA/CANADA