The long-anticipated Pennsylvania primary left things up in the air for the Democratic Party nomination, with Sen. Hillary Clinton's victory over Sen. Barack Obama.
Clinton clinched 55 percent of the Pennsylvania vote with 99 percent counted. To win the nomination, the delegates have to achieve a total of 2,025 votes.
Obama now stands at 1,719 votes with Clinton close behind at 1,586.
The next stop on the road to nomination is the Indiana primary, on May 6th. Indiana is the third largest remaining delegate state and both candidates are already hitting the campaign trail. The state hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1964.
CNN's election center shows that Obama seems to be pulling ahead, earning an endorsement from former 9/11 commission co-chairman Lee Hamilton and also from former governor, Sen. Evan Bayh.
The latest polls from the election center indicate Obama has 40 percent of the vote, leaving Hillary close behind, as usual, at 35 percent with 25 percent of the voters marked as unsure.
According to a CNN article, the former first lady assured supporters she was far from down for the count.
"Some counted me out and said to drop out, but the American people don't quit. And they deserve a president who doesn't quit either," she said.
Clinton's campaign said in the hours after winning the primary that she raised $3.5 million, making it her best overnight performance ever.
She was outspent by Obama by more than two-to-one while campaigning for the Pennsylvania primary.
Clinton showed her blue-collar roots by throwing down a shot of whiskey, then taking a mug of beer as a chaser, while Obama was close to winning over working-class voters, according to CNN.
Clinton also won more votes in elections where the economy was the dominate concern.
Demographically, she won votes from blue-collar workers, women and white men. White voters made up over 80 percent of Pennsylvania Democrats. Clinton outbeat Obama among those voters, 60 to 40 percent.
On the contrary, the black voters preferred Obama, as well as the voters who recently switched to the Democratic Party.
On Tuesday night Obama was empty-handed leaving Pennsylvania. He reportedly spent $11.2 million on television ads in Pennsylvania, more than any other place, whereas Clinton spent $4.8 million.
Clinton's victory has given her a strong record in the larger states as she attempts to convince super delegates to overlook her opponent's delegate advantage and popular vote lead when choosing a nominee.
Clinton's win in Pennsylvania, although a much-needed boost to her campaign, is still receiving close scrutiny from political analysts.
Obama could still take the nomination if he wins Democratic primaries in Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia and Kentucky. t&c;
