WASHINGTON -- Will West Virginia be Hillary Clinton's last hurrah?
The former U.S. first lady is expected to win a resounding victory Tuesday in the Mountain State's Democratic presidential primary on the strength of strong support among older working-class voters.
But even before voters in West Virginia cast their ballots, Clinton's likely gains in delegates have been offset by a surge in Democratic 'superdelegate' endorsements for Obama.
The Illinois senator has won the support of 26 superdelegates, including four on Monday, since the Indiana and North Carolina primaries a week ago. By contrast, Clinton has gained only one superdelegate in that time.
"Most of the primary voters across the nation have now spoken. It is time to bring a graceful end to the primary campaign," said Maine Rep. Tom Allen, one of the four new Obama supporters.
The surge in support from the all-important group of lawmakers and party officials, who receive automatic votes at the Democrats' August nominating convention, has added bulk to Obama's delegate lead with only six primaries remaining.
Obama now has 1,871 of the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination, excluding results from disqualified primaries in Florida and Michigan. Clinton has won 1,679 delegates.
But while the delegate math is stacked in Obama's favour, senior Clinton supporters on Monday dismissed speculation she might suspend her campaign before the final nominating contests on June 3.
"My advice is, stay the course," said Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a member of Clinton's inner circle. "We've gone this far. Why disenfranchise six states?"
Clinton's campaign was buoyed Monday by a Suffolk University poll showing her with a 36-percentage point lead in West Virginia, a potential 'swing' state in November's general election.
A victory there would give Clinton wins in six of the last eight Democratic contests.
"It's a fact that Democrats don't get elected president unless West Virginia votes for you," said Clinton.
Added Rendell: "Why would the person who's winning drop out?"
But fewer and fewer senior Democrats are buying the Clinton logic.
-- Canwest News Service
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