Clinton wins West Virginia primary

Hillary Clinton cruised to an emphatic victory over rival Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary on Tuesday, handing the Democrat front-runner one of the worst defeats of his campaign, but effectively doing little to dent his prospects in the race for White House.

With votes from 76 per cent of the largely working-class state's precincts counted, Clinton was winning 66 per cent to 27 percent for Obama, United States media reported. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, who has already quit the contest, was picking up the remaining seven per cent.

However, West Virginia was expected to go the Clinton way with Obama conceding defeat in advance and the huge win, though morale-boosting for the former first lady, is not expected to reverse the African-American Senator's insurmountable lead in the delegate tally.

Clinton won at least 16 of the 28 delegates at stake in West Virginia, with Obama securing seven and five more still to be allocated. The present delegate tally stands at 1,882.5 for Obama to 1,713 for Clinton.

Obama leads his rival 31-18 in primaries and caucuses won and 27-17 in states clinched.

According to analysts, even if Obama loses most of the remaining contests in four states and Puerto Rico, it is unlikely to shake his stronghold on the Democrat contest.

But a never-say-die Clinton reminded her supporters and the party leadership that she is not giving up the challenge and the race is anything but over.

"You've heard this before. There are many who wanted to declare a nominee before the ballots were counted or even cast. Some said our campaign was over after Iowa, but then we won New Hampshire. Then we had big victories on Super Tuesday, and in Ohio, and Texas, and Pennsylvania. And, of course, we came from behind to win in Indiana," Clinton said.

"So this race isn't over yet. Neither of us has the total delegates it takes to win," the former first lady said.

Clinton also said she does not subscribe to the notion that the voters of Michigan and Florida -- who have been disqualified -- can be left out.

"It is a fact that no Democrat has won the White House since 1916 without winning West Virginia. The bottom line is this: The White House is won in the swing states, and I am winning the swing states," she asserted.

Obama was looking ahead to the Oregon primary next week and to the general election campaign against presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. But the West Virginia defeat underscored his weakness among blue-collar voters, who will be important during the November elections.

Clinton got 72 per cent of the white blue-collar votes as opposed to only 23 per cent for Obama. Sixty per cent of the men voters in the Democratic primary backed Clinton. Even the white voters with college degrees went with Clinton by a 55 per cent to 41 per cent margin.

A survey revealed that some voters believe that Obama shares the views of his fiery former pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who made strong anti-American comments at a press conference last month.

Clinton had said that she is in the race because she believes herself to be the strongest candidate to lead the party in November 2008.

However, after last week's commanding win in North Carolina primary and a narrow loss in Indiana, the feeling in the Democrat ranks is that Obama has all but wrapped up the nomination.

Obama picked up another four superdelegates on Tuesday, including Ray Nagin, the mayor of Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans, and Roy Romer, a former Democratic Party chairman.

During the past week, close to 30 superdelegates have swung behind Obama, including three former Clinton backers, giving him a 284-272 lead in the crucial voting bloc that was once heavily tilted towards her.

"This race, I believe, is over," Romer told reporters. He said only Clinton can decide when to withdraw, but added, "There is a time we need to end it and direct ourselves to the general election. I think that time is now."

Obama, starting a two-week tour that will take him to the remaining primary states such as South Dakota and Oregon, focused more on McCain while campaigning in Missouri.

"John McCain has decided that he is running for George Bush's third term in office," Obama said. "He has opted for the same approach that has failed the American people."