lily
01-16-2008, 04:15 PM
Link (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/NEWS15/801160340)
Clinton fends off Uncommitted
Obama backers pleased with results
January 16, 2008
By CHRIS CHRISTOFF
FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU CHIEF
Hillary Clinton scored a largely empty victory in Tuesday's Democratic
presidential primary, taking slightly more than half the votes, while her
main ballot opponent -- Uncommitted -- received about 40%.
Light voter turnout and the unusual nature of the ballot made it difficult
to determine the impact on the Democratic race.
Clinton's two main rivals -- Barack Obama and John Edwards -- removed their
names from the ballot, and the national party stripped Michigan of its
delegates because it held the primary before Feb. 5, a violation of party
rules.
Clinton led Uncommitted 55%-40% with 97% of the vote counted Tuesday night.
About 600,000 people voted in the Democratic primary.
The votes for Uncommitted on Tuesday mean the state Democratic Party will
choose some number of uncommitted delegates to the national convention in
August -- if the national party relents and restores Michigan's delegates.
Although many Democrats scoffed at the Uncommitted choice, it was seen by
some as a test of Clinton's strength.
Asked, in exit polling, whom they would choose if all candidates were on the
ballot, voters preferred Clinton over Obama, 46%-35%. Edwards was third with
12%, and Dennis Kucinich was fourth with 2%.
The National Election Pool poll, conducted by Edison/Mitofsky of New Jersey,
surveyed 997 Democratic voters at 40 polling places in Michigan. The margin
of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Obama backers in Michigan had urged Democratic voters to choose Uncommitted
as an indirect show of support.
Former Gov. James Blanchard, a cochairman of Clinton's Michigan campaign,
called the results a strong showing for her, despite a concerted campaign
against her by some Democrats.
"Anything over 50%, we're ecstatic," Blanchard said. "A win is a win is a
win, given what happened in Iowa and New Hampshire."
Obama won Iowa; Clinton took New Hampshire.
Blanchard said: "It's a big boost for Hillary in November. We're thrilled.
Michigan has more delegates -- and I believe they will be seated at the
convention -- than Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada put together."
The exit poll showed Clinton with 71% among white women, but only 34% among
nonwhite women. Overall, Clinton's support among black voters was 30%, with
68% going to Uncommitted.
Clinton is competing nationally for black voters with Obama, an African
American.
Christina Montague, state coordinator of Michiganders for Obama, was happy
with the result, and said it proved Obama's strength in Michigan.
"We didn't want to be totally disenfranchised," she said. "I think we've
done a fabulous job. We really worked hard."
Relatively few independent and Republican voters chose to vote in the
Democratic primary, the poll found.
But independents who did vote went overwhelmingly for Uncommitted over
Clinton, 51%-32%.
And there wasn't much last-minute decision-making. More than half the voters
polled said they made up their minds more than a month ago.
Clinton fends off Uncommitted
Obama backers pleased with results
January 16, 2008
By CHRIS CHRISTOFF
FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU CHIEF
Hillary Clinton scored a largely empty victory in Tuesday's Democratic
presidential primary, taking slightly more than half the votes, while her
main ballot opponent -- Uncommitted -- received about 40%.
Light voter turnout and the unusual nature of the ballot made it difficult
to determine the impact on the Democratic race.
Clinton's two main rivals -- Barack Obama and John Edwards -- removed their
names from the ballot, and the national party stripped Michigan of its
delegates because it held the primary before Feb. 5, a violation of party
rules.
Clinton led Uncommitted 55%-40% with 97% of the vote counted Tuesday night.
About 600,000 people voted in the Democratic primary.
The votes for Uncommitted on Tuesday mean the state Democratic Party will
choose some number of uncommitted delegates to the national convention in
August -- if the national party relents and restores Michigan's delegates.
Although many Democrats scoffed at the Uncommitted choice, it was seen by
some as a test of Clinton's strength.
Asked, in exit polling, whom they would choose if all candidates were on the
ballot, voters preferred Clinton over Obama, 46%-35%. Edwards was third with
12%, and Dennis Kucinich was fourth with 2%.
The National Election Pool poll, conducted by Edison/Mitofsky of New Jersey,
surveyed 997 Democratic voters at 40 polling places in Michigan. The margin
of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Obama backers in Michigan had urged Democratic voters to choose Uncommitted
as an indirect show of support.
Former Gov. James Blanchard, a cochairman of Clinton's Michigan campaign,
called the results a strong showing for her, despite a concerted campaign
against her by some Democrats.
"Anything over 50%, we're ecstatic," Blanchard said. "A win is a win is a
win, given what happened in Iowa and New Hampshire."
Obama won Iowa; Clinton took New Hampshire.
Blanchard said: "It's a big boost for Hillary in November. We're thrilled.
Michigan has more delegates -- and I believe they will be seated at the
convention -- than Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada put together."
The exit poll showed Clinton with 71% among white women, but only 34% among
nonwhite women. Overall, Clinton's support among black voters was 30%, with
68% going to Uncommitted.
Clinton is competing nationally for black voters with Obama, an African
American.
Christina Montague, state coordinator of Michiganders for Obama, was happy
with the result, and said it proved Obama's strength in Michigan.
"We didn't want to be totally disenfranchised," she said. "I think we've
done a fabulous job. We really worked hard."
Relatively few independent and Republican voters chose to vote in the
Democratic primary, the poll found.
But independents who did vote went overwhelmingly for Uncommitted over
Clinton, 51%-32%.
And there wasn't much last-minute decision-making. More than half the voters
polled said they made up their minds more than a month ago.