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I'm still in the race: Clinton

Hillary Clinton has brushed aside suggestions that she is doubtful of winning the White House bid, saying she is looking forward to the crucial contests of Ohio and Texas.

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WASHINGTON: Democratic Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has brushed aside suggestions that she is doubtful of winning the White House bid following the 11 straight losses to the front-runner Barack Obama, saying she is looking forward to the crucial contests of Ohio and Texas.
    
At the end of a debate with Obama on Thursday, New York Senator Clinton had said "Whatever happens, we'll both be fine."  This was seen by many as the former first Lady having doubts about her own campaign and in its ability to bag the big ticket states of Ohio and Texas scheduled for their political showdown on March 4.
    
However, she downplayed her remarks and made it known that she is indeed serious about Ohio and Texas. "I intend to win, obviously. I'm working very hard. And Ohio and Texas are critical states," she said in a media interview.
    
The Hillary campaign knows well that she must get Ohio and Texas to stay meaningful in the Democratic race and even former President Bill Clinton had said recently that if his wife does not bag these two states, she is toast.
   
Senator Clinton did not respond to the remarks of her husband maintaining that she is not in the prediction business but polls have shown that while she maintains a small lead in Ohio, Senator Obama has either caught up in Texas or is leading in the Lone Star state.
    
Political analysts have also pointed to the rather cumbersome allocation of delegates in Texas where the Democratic Party has both the primary and caucus and where it allows independents and Republicans to vote. This is to the disadvantage of Senator Clinton.
    
The argument is being made that Senator Obama runs very strong among the Independent voters and Republicans may enter the fray in the Democratic primaries just to vote against Senator Clinton.

The conventional wisdom is that neither Obama nor Clinton is going to be able to bag the 2025 delegates by the time the last primary is out of the way in Puerto Rico on June 7, 2008. And hence a heavy emphasis on what the Super Delegates may or may not do.
    
The Democratic Party has a total of 796 Super delegates and these delegates have had no more than a ceremonial role in the recent past Democratic Conventions. Now with the closeness of the race being what it is, there is the genuine fear among pledged delegates that somehow the next Party nominee will be chosen in a rather shady back, smoke filled room on the Convention floor in Denver this August.
    
By one count Senator Clinton still leads among super delegates 241 to 181 but her total is down two in the past two weeks; and Senator Obama's is up by 25.
    
Meanwhile on the Republican front the presumptive nominee John McCain appears to have shaken off a brief but bad publicity involving a 40-year-old communications lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, that had sexual overtones.
    
Several Republican and Democratic strategists have questioned the strength of the New York Times expose on the Arizona Senator's links with a lobbying firm.
    
Among other things the argument is being made that aside from being a weak story, it is too early in the political season to catch any traction. If anything conservatives have rallied behind Senator McCain who vehemently denied any wrong doing, professionally or personally.
    
The White House threw its weight behind Senator McCain saying that The Times had a history of going after Republican candidates.

 

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