by Mark Silva
Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois effectively has clinched the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates as some of the party's superdelegates step forward on the final day of party primaries.
The AP's tally puts Obama over the top of the 2,118 convention delegates needed for nomination in Denver this summer.
This could make Obama, junior senator from Illinois, the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.
Obama apparently has outrun former first lady and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in a historic party contest, and will face Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee, in a bid for the presidency.







Comments
JjUST HOPE HILLARY KEEPS UP THE FIGHT, ESPECIALLY THE WAY THE OBAMA CAMP TREATED THEM WITH LIES-
WITH OBAMA ---- FOUR YEARS LOST FOR THE DEMOCRATS
Posted by: George | June 3, 2008 2:39 PM
Obama is not leading the Democratic Party into anything. He is leading only his own glassy-eyed zealots, whose status as Democrats is dubious, given their sexism, ageism, and classism.
The rest of us Democrats will be doing something else that will not include voting for him.
Posted by: Catherine | June 3, 2008 2:48 PM
lets hope Hillary supporters can look at the greater good, put this behind them and do what is right...which is put a great candidate in office who is committed to change..
GO OBAMA!!
From Canada!!
Posted by: Sean | June 3, 2008 2:48 PM
What lies? Name some.
The Clintons are the biggest liars and manipulators in the history of politics since Nero.
Obama is doing over 20 points better than Clinton against McCain in most polls. Give it up.
Also, located just 1/2" from your "a" key is a key we like to call "Caps Lock" It prevents you from typing in all caps. Try it.
Posted by: Greg | June 3, 2008 2:49 PM
Hooray for Barack Obama. A victory of hope for our country! I love the way he's structured his campaign to be "of the people."
Posted by: marylee | June 3, 2008 2:51 PM
What lies, George? Oh, you mean the sniper fire in Bosnia?
Posted by: ericmiami | June 3, 2008 2:53 PM
if this tally report is true from the AP, as of right now, thank goodness...but also: i'm ready to see the list of delegates that finally decided before tonight to switch over so as to give him the delegate math count before the end of voting tonight.
my opinion if true: clinton needs to let it go, and work as hard as she has tried to defeat him by now supporting him and working with the democrate party. she would shame every last american and woman, if she chooses any other course of action.
Posted by: mary | June 3, 2008 2:53 PM
Today is a day to celebrate! And November 4th will be a greater day when Obama is officially elected POTUS! Congratulations Obama and Hillary on running tremendous campaigns and breaking barriers. Yesterday was a peak for McCain - it's all downhill from here.
Posted by: Alice | June 3, 2008 2:55 PM
George... this time in intelligible English please... what the heck are you talking about!?
Posted by: mark | June 3, 2008 2:57 PM
Just hope Hillary pays all of those small businesses and vendors the money she owes!
Posted by: Jomamma | June 3, 2008 2:58 PM
Catherine and George. You are Republicans. Stop trying to divide our Democratic Party. You're wasting your time. Good luck in 2012.
Posted by: Matt | June 3, 2008 2:58 PM
Hillary may surprise us all this evening. She is one heck of a fighter - determination and commitment, great qualities for a President. Let's hope Obama is in it for the right reasons and not for the "power" trip that catapulted him to be a 1.5 year Senator prior to deciding he's unfulfilled and wanted to be President.
Posted by: the truth | June 3, 2008 2:59 PM
You guys are Republicans ... come November you will vote for the best candidate, the next president of the United States Barack Hussein Obama.
Thank you Jesus.
yes. we can.
You can too!
Posted by: Bud | June 3, 2008 3:00 PM
Finally...now let's move on to the GE and get it done.
Posted by: Rich | June 3, 2008 3:02 PM
Finally the true winner announced! This is the best news I've heard in a long time. Eight years won for Democrats!
Posted by: M.figueroa | June 3, 2008 3:02 PM
Congratulations! Senator Obama ! now to the white house.
Posted by: Madison | June 3, 2008 3:03 PM
Now it's time for Democrats to come together. It has been a harsh, and brutally long primary. But there is no way we can have McCain lead this country. More of the same or worse are not acceptable. McCain is not what th country needs now, we need a fresh direction. Either Hillary or Obama promised a change, and now that Obama has done it, let's get behind him and win November. The stakes are too high, the choices are clear. She's too smart to be left on the sidelines, she's way too valuable to stay home. I'm sure that her presence and ideas will have strong influence in the white House of Barack Obama. Let's all go in for the big win and make this country back into something for all of the people instead of the rich, well-connected and heavily lobbied.
Posted by: Paul | June 3, 2008 3:03 PM
Sexism, ageism, and classism? Four years lost for the Democrats? Ah, the Republicans pushing for Hillary again... Barack is our nations true hope. With NO 'isms' attached.
Posted by: Oliver | June 3, 2008 3:05 PM
He may lead the party but he will never win....
Posted by: kaye c. | June 3, 2008 3:10 PM
It is unfortunate that one side must win and one must lose, but that's the democratic process. To be unhappy is one thing but to plan to sabatoge the party is quite another thing.
Holding feelings of anger is unhealthy to individuals and to the common good.
Attitude is everything, they say.
Posted by: NParr | June 3, 2008 3:11 PM
The Clinton family and the Bush family see themselves as some kind of royalty and therefore deserving of the Presidency. Thank God we don't have to put up with 4 to 8 more years of either of these families. It is not "their turn" anymore.
Posted by: David Cornwell | June 3, 2008 3:12 PM
hehehehe, you guys are FUNNY!!
Sexism, lies, power trip.
Wow, what a sore sore bunch.
Posted by: Jeffrey Hamilton | June 3, 2008 3:22 PM
The rest of us Democrats will be doing something else that will not include voting for him.
Posted by: Catherine | June 3, 2008 2:48 PM
And thats a good party democrat?
Posted by: bill r. | June 3, 2008 3:26 PM
kaye c - you dumped on the NYTimes comments, and now you're dumping garbage in Baltimore. If McCain does win, then we can all point our fingers at you, and you wil deserve all the garbage that will be dumped on you and your ilk.
Posted by: Allen Shaffer | June 3, 2008 3:43 PM
Catherine, do as you please. However you and those who think like you are NOT true democrats. You have morphed into "the other" because of your petty hatered. So while us REAL democrats march on to victory, Mrs. Clinto included, you go on and have a nice day. I leave it to you.
Posted by: We The People | June 3, 2008 3:55 PM
HIllary fans, four years ago, Bill Clinton, in support of John Kerry told us
"Now, one of Clinton’s laws of politics is this. If one candidate is trying to scare you and the other one is try get you to think, if one candidate is appealing to your fears and the other one is appealing to your hopes, you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope."
I know that you Hillary supporters are not necessarily Bill supporters, but Bill had it right, and the country and the party got it right. This had to happen.
Welcome, to ObamaNation.
Posted by: michael | June 3, 2008 3:55 PM
Good comment Greg, how quickly people forget. I don't get it that an impeached President can be a superdelegate for his party? What does that say about Democrat leaders to start with.
Posted by: Bob | June 3, 2008 3:57 PM
In this Swamp article we're getting a preview of how the pro-Obama media will try and shift the focus away from his getting creamed in the SD primary tonight.
For a front-runner, Obama sure doesn't seem to be doing to well in recent primaries.
For a supposed uniter, there is little evidence that Obama is uniting his own party, let alone the rest of the nation.
Posted by: Bruce | June 3, 2008 4:12 PM
I RNC Bruce is out being a trool again.
Bad, RNC! Bad, RNC!
Posted by: Doug "Hussein" Zook | June 3, 2008 4:12 PM
Goodness, what grumpiness from a few. Folks, do whatever you feel called to do. I would suggest, however, that your conviction that Obama was going to lose the primaries casts some doubt on your predictions of the outcome of the general election. Maybe you could learn a little humility from this? Obama has his weaknesses, as does Clinton, but we need to focus on putting a Democrat in the White House. If you are so high-minded that doesn't matter to you, please stop creating static and calling it prophecy.
Posted by: calmdown | June 3, 2008 4:55 PM
Thank goodness kaye c. is here to tell us about how things will be! Now we can be certain Obama won't win since she has spoken!!! Who will win the superbowl next year, kaye c.? Will we find a cure for cancer? What is the meaning of life? Please, share with us your obviously superior wisdom and understanding about the murky ways of our human life!!! Thank you O Oracle!
Posted by: please | June 3, 2008 4:58 PM
Bruce,
I was hoping that some day you would grow up and get used to the idea of Obama as POTUS. Unfortunately, after he destroys McSame in the general election, you're going to get a chance to scrutinize his every move and the media. So I guess I should just go back to ignoring all of your infantile posts.
Posted by: Bubba | June 3, 2008 6:58 PM