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Despite some setbacks, Obama exceeds expectations

BY LETTA TAYLER | letta.tayler@newsday.com

February 6, 2008

CHICAGO - It ain't over till it's over.

That's the message Barack Obama and his aides emphasized yesterday, saying they were in a draw or perhaps besting Hillary Rodham Clinton despite having lost some key states including Massachusetts.

"We exceeded our own internal expectations for what we needed to do today to win the Democratic nomination," said campaign manager David Plouffe.

As of 11 p.m. eastern time, the Obama camp led Clinton in delegates 606-534, he said. Obama also had captured several important red states in addition to ones such as Georgia, where he had been expected to fare well.

"It's still a long road" to travel, he added, "but we are very thrilled with that."

Plouffe predicted Obama will do better in an upcoming string of contests starting Saturday in Nebraska, Louisiana and Washington, where the campaign has launched aggressive advertising and forged strong field operations.

One advantage in those states, Plouffe said, is that voters will have more time to hear Obama's message - one of his biggest challenges in Super Tuesday's condensed campaign schedule.

Hopes had been high among voters and aides for an even greater showing after Obama drew crowds of 13,000 to 20,000 in recent days with fiery speeches in which he cast himself as the candidate of change.

When giant television screens in the Chicago hotel ballroom hosting Obama's Super Tuesday party showed the Illinois senator taking Georgia, Illinois, Delaware and Alabama, supporters erupted in applause and cheers.

The multiracial crowd shouted with particular jubilance over Georgia, where Obama repeated his record in South Carolina's primary by taking more than 80 percent of the African-American vote, but also nearly 40 percent of white male votes, according to early exit polls. Obama took about one-fourth of white male votes in South Carolina when John Edwards also was in the mix.

But as Clinton's delegates piled up, including in Southern states such as Tennessee and in Massachusetts, where they had the endorsement of Ted and Caroline Kennedy, the laughs and applause took on a defiant air, as if to ward off loss.

"Look at all the people in this room," said Chicago high-school baseball coach Brian Gormley, 33, as he gestured at the packed party. "This is not the end; this is the start of something new. This grass roots movement will keep growing until we get so big, we'll jump right over the delegates.

Democratic results

Total delegates at stake 4,049

Total needed to nominate 2,025

Previous totals Won yesterday Other/super delegates Total

Hillary Clinton 48 58 193 299

Barack Obama 63 56 106 225

CLINTON

Oklahoma