Obama from NC

By Jennifer J. Foster

Published: May 6, 2008

In his victory speech from Raleigh, N.C., Barack Obama congratulated Hillary Clinton for “what appears to be” her win in Indiana.

Tallies right now show Clinton ahead by six percentage points, or 47,000-some votes. But Obama beat her in St. Joseph County, home to Notre Dame and an area pundits had highlighted as an area Clinton had to win big to wipe out what is expected to be big pickups for Obama in the Chicago suburbs.

But then again, maybe his numbers there are wiped out by her wins in the Evansville area, which had been expected to go for him.

We’ll know shortly—I hope.

In any event, Obama defied the predictions of the pundits who said he wouldn’t use this stage to roll out the new Obama. It was a new speech, a deeply personal speech, that focused on who he is and why he runs. If his original stump speech was all about change and why it’s needed, this speech makes the case for why he should be the leader who brings that change.

Jeffrey Toobin coined the phrase, “Obama triumphalism.“ I’ll be interested to see whether that catches on.

FYI—Clinton’s lead in Indiana is now down to four points—and dropping, with 74 percent of the vote in. John King notes that Clinton lost not just North Carolina, but likely the thrust of her argument to superdelegates to override the results of the primary season in the interests of electability.

Gloria Borger makes the point that because of tonight’s results, Clinton may well begin to have trouble raising money. Speeches and polls and commercials and pundits and spin notwithstanding, if there is no money, there is no race. That’s the political reality by which even the most dogged and determined political fighters must live—including Hillary Clinton.