Obama rides record turnout in landslide

By JOHN O’CONNOR - joconnor@thestate.com

Barack Obama left the Democratic field in his red clay dust Saturday, easily winning South Carolina’s first-in-the-South Democratic presidential primary.

In an election tainted by bickering and complaints about the focus on race and gender, black voters proved decisive for the U.S. Senator from Illinois.

According to exit polls, African-Americans accounted for more than half of Democratic voters, with four of every five of those voters, men and women, choosing Obama.

After spending much of the week fending off jabs from the Hillary Clinton campaign, Obama again tried to rise above the fray in his victory speech.

“It’s not about rich versus poor; young versus old; black versus white,” Obama said. “This election is about past versus future.

“Out of many we are one. While we breathe, we hope,” he said, referencing the state motto and his own campaign slogan.

The win rights the Obama campaign after two close losses in New Hampshire on Jan. 8 and Nevada on Jan. 19 and sets up what could be a decisive day of voting Feb. 5. More than 20 states cast votes on what has been dubbed “Tsunami Tuesday.”

Obama supporters packed the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Saturday night, just as they did on his first campaign visit to the state in February. Hundreds of people stood outside as supporters periodically shouted out returns to the crowd.

Crowds such as this greeted Obama all week. They were reflected in record turnout among Democratic voters.

New York U.S. Sen. Clinton tried to put the loss quickly behind her. Clinton, who jetted off to campaign in Tennessee, issued a written statement and did not greet supporters gathered at a Vista nightclub. In Nashville, she delivered her stump speech rather than a traditional concession speech.

Saturday’s result, supporters said, would not hurt her candidacy.

“We’re excited because we’re going to win this nomination,” said Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland. “We are going to win this presidency and restore respect back to this country.”

Zac Wright, Clinton’s S.C. media officer, said Clinton fought for every vote, spending most of Saturday in the state but moving on to campaign in states involved in the Feb. 5 primary.

Former North Carolina U.S. Sen. John Edwards finished a disappointing third in a state he won four years ago.

Edwards has struggled to build support for his campaign, and South Carolina is the third straight contest where he finished distantly behind the leaders.

Edwards pledged to continue to fight for those with no health insurance, the poor and those worried about their jobs.

“Your voice will be heard in America and it will be heard in this campaign,” Edwards said.

Obama supporters, such as former Gov. Jim Hodges, said the margin of victory bodes well for later states. Obama’s win, he said, cannot be written off as Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 S.C. caucus victories were.

Obama, Hodges said, proved he could appeal to a broad group of voters.

“It was a first round knockout,” Hodges said. “(Jackson) didn’t win like this. Nobody’s won like this.”

Reach O’Connor at (803) 771-8358. Staff writers Noelle Phillips and Jeff Wilkinson contributed to this report.