Barack Obama

- Democrat Barack Obama triumphs in South Carolina -
[no surprises there for me]

US presidential hopeful Barack Obama has secured a decisive win in the South Carolina primary election, as he bids to be the Democratic Party's candidate.

It was an overwhelming victory too - he finished with 55% of the vote, against 27% for Hillary Clinton and just 18% for John Edwards, who may now have to accept that his campaign is doomed.

The result is a boost for Mr Obama's campaign ahead of Super Tuesday on 5 February, when 24 states vote for who they want to run for US president.

Key to Mr Obama's victory was the support of African-American voters, who made up about half the electorate and four-fifths of whom supported him, according to exit poll data. About 17% supported Mrs Clinton. Surprisingly one fifth of the African-American voters supported Ms Hillary.

Mrs Clinton's campaign issued a statement saying she had called to congratulate Mr Obama and wish him well.

Former President Bill Clinton, who has been campaigning on behalf of his wife, told a rally in Missouri that Mr Obama had "won fair and square".

Polls in key states at stake on Super Tuesday show Hillary Clinton ahead.

My comment: Barack Obama wins as much as I expected, the polls had it dead right. From the reports I have read It looked as if it was a good clean fight between the candidates. Well done.

Vote for Hillary - You know it makes sense

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Romney secures Michigan victory

- Republican Mitt Romney secures Michigan victory -

Senator John McCain, who came second, congratulated Mr Romney, saying he had worked hard to ensure he won the vote.

Michigan did not figure in the race for the Democratic nomination because of a party dispute over scheduling. - [Comment: What’s all that about?].

The Democratic Party denied Michigan the right to send delegates to its convention - when the party's presidential candidate will be chosen - because the state party chose to hold its primary early.

Of the Democratic frontrunners, none campaigned in the state, and only Hillary Clinton had her name on the ballot.

She won a majority of the votes cast, but a substantial number went to the ballot listing for "uncommitted".

The campaigns for rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards had urged supporters to vote "uncommitted" to prevent Mrs Clinton seeming to make a clean sweep.

As the Michigan results came in, the Democratic candidates were taking part in a debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, where caucuses will be held on Saturday.

Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama promised to end their damaging dispute over racial politics.

Mr Obama spoke of the importance of coming together as a people, while Mrs Clinton said: "We're all family in the Democratic party."

[South Carolina on Saturday?].

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New Hampshire's Primary

- Hillary Clinton does it -

Hillary Clinton has won New Hampshire's presidential primary, beating rival candidate Barack Obama into second place.

Observers say it was a record-breaking turnout, with some half a million people having cast ballots.

Senator Clinton told a cheering crowd of supporters that: "I come tonight with a very, very full heart. I want especially to thank New Hampshire. Over the last week I listened to you and in the process I found my own voice. I felt like we all spoke from our hearts and I am so gratified that you responded”.

48 states left to go, Candidates will build momentum before more than 20 states hold polls on 5 February, known as Super Tuesday.

In conceding victory Senator Obama said: "I want to congratulate Senator Clinton on a hard fought victory here in New Hampshire. She did an outstanding job, give her a big round of applause."

Vote for Hillary Clinton - You know it makes sense.
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A point to note:

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (Jan. 7) - In perhaps her most public display of emotion of the presidential campaign, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s eyes welled with tears, and her voice cracked dramatically on Monday, as she talked about holding up under the rigors of the race and her belief that she is the best candidate for the Democratic nomination.

If it was not an Ed Muskie moment — Mrs. Clinton did not cry (or look like she was crying) — she was certainly on the verge of it after a woman asked her, at a round table discussion at a coffee shop here, how she managed to get out of bed and soldier through each day.

“How do you do it?” the woman, Marianne Pernold, asked. And, with a touch of humour, she added, “Who does your hair?”

“It’s not easy, it’s not easy,” Mrs. Clinton replied slowly. “I couldn’t do it if I did not passionately believe it was the right thing to do. It’s very personal to me.”

At this point Mrs. Clinton’s voice softened and lowered to a near-hush, and she spoke more haltingly.

“I have so many ideas for this country, I just don’t want to see us fall backwards,” she said, her eyes visibly wet, as a row of news photographers began snapping away to capture the moment. “It’s about our country, it’s about our kids’ futures.”

“Some of us are right some of us are wrong,” she continued, firming up a bit — and sounding, some reporters felt, either angry or resentful about Senator Barack Obama. “Some of us are ready, and some of us are not. Some of us know what we’ll do on day one and some of us don’t.”

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Vote for Hillary Clinton

- Vote for Hillary Clinton -

For goodness sake the great voting American public ‘WAKE UP’. You know it make sense.

Are the American voting public being so blind that they can’t see or are they being sexist, there is only one Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination and surely that must be Ms Hillary Clinton. I am at a loss to understand why they can’t see this.

Here we have a lady who when being talk to her lowers her chin in a way that seems both winning and deferential and shows a lot of teeth. Her hair style is short, practical bob that suits her best, there is colour in her cheeks and quite a bit of make-up in the creases below her eyes, but hey what lady of 60-years doesn’t. We all know that she cannot match her husband Mr Bill - [X President] for sheer charisma, but she does have some, in fact quite a lot. She can unleash a surprising raunchy giggle and has learnt the knack of instant engagement apparent to those who are fortunate to meet her. She has the aura of power, which is charismatic, but, sorry Ms Hillary, still seems awkward when out and about with the voters, perhaps that’s what redeems her. I am told she is quite nice. In her presence she gives out that feeling of something of a Mum-in-charge, efficiency, control and determination that all Mums have.

In her book Living History, her 2003 memoir she says, “were to stay married to Bill [we all know and can guess the reason for this] and run for the Senate”, she says that had she decided either question differently she would not have run for the White House.

After eight disastrous years with Mr George Bush America yearns for the good old days of peace and unprecedented prosperity which they had with Mr Bill Clinton. Whether or not this is logical is not the issue.

One of the truisms that have emerged from the million of words written about Ms Hillary seems that we all know about her yet not to know her at all. Perhaps surprising he age is not an issue in her campaign. You can scour the internet for comments, barbed or otherwise and come up blank, although if she wins she will be far older than her husband Bill or George Bush when they came to power [46 and 54 respectively]. Sixty might be a milestone, but to all American who expect to live to 90-years it may be a milestone to maturity rather then a pension.

Wake up America don’t be a sexist nation, make history, go for a first women President - vote for Hillary Clinton.

What I would like to see is a ‘Head-to-Head between Ms Hillary the nominated Democratic candidate and the Republican candidate nearer to November.

For me the out come from this meeting ‘joie de vivre’ so be it.

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