Articles | Pennsylvania goes to the polls

Pennsylvania goes to the polls

Published: Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 7:56AM

Democrats in Pennsylvania are heading to the polls in what could be a crucial vote for presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The New York senator is the favourite, but needs a convincing victory to gain ground on Senator Obama and convince party leaders she is the best candidate to face Republican John McCain in November's presidential election.

The voting in Pennsylvania opens the final phase of Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama's hard-fought duel for the nomination. Nine more contests are scheduled before the campaign concludes on June 3.

Mrs Clinton's one-time 20-point lead has slipped to single digits in many polls amid an onslaught of advertisements by Mr Obama, who has heavily outspent her in the state. But both camps tried to play down expectations ahead of the vote.

"I'm not predicting a win. I'm predicting it's going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect," Mr Obama said.

Mrs Clinton has released an ad featuring images of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and touting her strength.

"You need to be ready for anything - especially now, with two wars, oil prices skyrocketing and an economy in crisis," the ad's narrator says. "Who do you think has what it takes?"

Mr Obama's camp accused her of using "the politics of fear", and he released his own ad in response. "Who in times of challenge will unite us - not use fear and calculation to divide us?" the ad asked.

The two candidates spent the weeks before the vote battling campaign controversies and courting Pennsylvania's big bloc of blue-collar voters. Mr Obama went bowling and hoisted beers with voters, while Mrs Clinton went door-to-door in working class neighbourhoods.

Mr Obama was on the defensive at times over the inflammatory comments of his former pastor and his own comments about the bitterness of residents in economically struggling small towns.

Mrs Clinton had to apologise for fabricating a story about facing sniper fire during a 1996 visit to Bosnia when she was first lady.

Mr Obama has a nearly insurmountable lead in popular votes won during the first three months of the primary battle and in delegates who will choose the nominee at the August convention. But neither can clinch the nomination without the help of superdelegates - nearly 800 party insiders who are free to support either candidate.