Hillary, Obama share spoils, each wins at home

It was a night of drama as millions of Democrats cleaved sharply between two candidates offering them a historic first — the opportunity to nominate a woman or an African-American to lead their party’s effort to reclaim the White House. Yet it was also a night when neither Obama nor Clinton could decisively lay claim — or even secure an edge — to the nomination, assuring an electoral fight that will unfold for weeks to come.

In remarks to their supporters in Manhattan and Chicago, Clinton and Obama smiled broadly, but were relatively low key in their assessments of the night, as if they knew that their state-by-state successes did not add up to the grand prize of Democratic standard-bearer. Both sounded a little tired at times, already exhausted by campaigning and fundraising, with only more of both ahead.

And throughout the night, uncertainty about the biggest delegate prize, California, vexed both campaigns. Early Wednesday, however, Clinton solidified her lead there, providing a huge morale boost to her team from a state that has long been a cornerstone of successful Democratic campaigns.

Missouri proved to be another story. Historically a presidential bellwether, the state was almost evenly split between the two Democrats at 1 am Wednesday, with Obama leading by half of a percentage point.

Before California and Missouri were counted, an analysis by The Associated Press based on incomplete vote totals showed that Clinton had won 166 delegates and Obama had won 146 at stake on Tuesday. All told, Clinton had 479 delegates and Obama had 386. Those figures are likely to change as the vote tallies are completed and delegates are awarded under complicated rules that vary from state to state.

“Tonight we are hearing the voices of people across America — people of all ages, of all colours, of all faiths, of all walks of life,” a broadly smiling Clinton told supporters in Manhattan just before 11 pm. “Tonight, in record numbers, you voted not just to make history, but to remake America.”

... contd.