Photograph of Barack Obama at a rally in Virginia Beach by Rick Bowmer/AP
Barack Obama won yesterday's Maine caucus, with about 57-60% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's approximate 40-42%. This makes Obama's fourth win in a row, after sweeping the Democratic contests in Louisiana, Nebraska, and Washington yesterday.
About 8 inches of snow fell in Maine, but voters were still lined up outside some doors. Politico's Ben Smith writes:
Obama's victory comes despite being down in all four polls of the state, and despite his loss in the primary in neighboring Massachusetts. Clinton had been thought to have a strong shot at winning in Maine, whose demographics -- largely white, heavily working-class -- are those that have typically favored her... But Obama demonstrated his edge, yet again, in states decided by caucuses, in which the key factors are organization and the intensity of support. His supporters proved willing to trudge out in the Maine snow on a Sunday afternoon to support him, and they were rewarded with victory.
Obama's strength comes as Clinton's campaign experienced a big change: Her campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle stepped down, with aide Maggie Williams replacing her. Clinton gave a statement remarking on Solis Doyle's “extraordinary job in getting us to this point - within reach of the nomination"
The Clinton camp sought to characterize this not as a shake-up but as a "seamless transition," since Solis Doyle and Williams had been working together for the last month. Williams, Clinton's senate chief of staff, joined the campaign after Clinton's third-place Iowa showing. Solis Doyle will stay on as a senior adviser.
Photograph of Hillary Clinton at a campaign stop in Bowie, Maryland by Carolyn Kaster/AP
On Tuesday, there are primaries in D.C., Maryland and Virginia (by some counts, only 28 delegates separate Clinton and Obama). And CNN reports that John Edwards met with Clinton last Thursday and will be meeting with Obama today. While Edwards and his advisers have been discussing who he will endorse, some are recommending he not make an endorsement. CNN adds, "There are policy considerations at play: there is a sense within the Edwards camp that Clinton's policies could be better for working class Americans. But Obama's anti-lobbyist proposals are more aligned with Edwards’ politics."
