Predictions of big win in Miss. for Obama

From the Boston Globe

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor

Barack Obama reasserted his claim tonight as front-runner in the Democratic presidential race by winning the Mississippi primary, according to projections by Fox News, NBC News,
CNN, and the Associated Press.

Obama also easily won the caucuses in Wyoming on Saturday after Hillary Clinton kept her campaign alive last Tuesday with wins in Ohio, Rhode Island, and Texas.

He is likely to win most of the 33 delegates at stake tonight in Mississippi and extend his lead in delegates, which stood at 106 before today. With 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, Obama had 1,579 to Clinton's 1,473, according to the Associated Press tally, which includes committed superdelegates.

Black voters, who have overwhelmingly supported Obama in earlier primaries, made up about half the electorate in Mississippi, according to exit polling conducted for the TV networks and the AP.

While Obama dismissed talk of a so-called dream ticket, six in 10 Obama supporters said he should pick Clinton as his vice president if he wins the nomination. Four in 10 of Clinton voters said she should put Obama on the ticket. But while one in five Clinton voters said Obama is more likely than Clinton to beat Republican John McCain in November; only about one in 20 Obama voters said Clinton was more likely than their candidate to defeat McCain.

Both candidates are already pointing toward Pennsylvania, the next big test on April 22 with 158 delegates up for grabs. That primary looms as another potential turning point -- just as Ohio and Texas were. Clinton, who is favored, needs to win to keep her campaign's momentum. Obama has another chance to deal a devastating blow because a Clinton loss would increase pressure on her to drop out for the good of the party.