Barack Obama was “unable to land the knockout punch” against Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania that he needed to end the ongoing Democratic primary race, Rich Matthews of the Associated Press reports. The senator from Illinois conceded defeat Tuesday night from Evansville, Indiana, where, Matthews reports, Obama has some distinct advantages in the May 6 primary: He has won similar states, such as Iowa; he hails from the state next door; and, by arriving on the night of the Pennsylvania primary, he captured early media attention.
Story Transcript
RICH MATTHEWS (VOICEOVER): Barack Obama put nearly 800 miles between him and his Pennsylvania loss, flying from the big city of Philadelphia to the small town of Evansville, Indiana, Tuesday night. Obama was greeted by thousands of his fired-up supporters and quickly addressed what happened in the keystone state.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (D): You know, there are a lot of folks who didn’t think we could make this a race when it started. They thought we were going to be blown out. And now, six weeks later, we closed the gap.
MATTHEWS: Closed the gap, but lost by 10 percentage points. Still, Obama’s message was upbeat.
OBAMA: We can build on the movement we started in this campaign, a movement that’s united Democrats, independents, Republicans, young, old, rich, poor, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight.
MATTHEWS: While Senator Clinton has the momentum, Obama has several things going for him in India. He’s already proven he can win in a similar state like Iowa. His home is in neighboring Illinois, and he arrived here twelve hours before Hillary Clinton, dominating news coverage in the state.
MATTHEWS (ON CAMERA): So, not a surprise for Barack Obama, but certainly a disappointment. He was once again unable to throw the knockout punch that could have essentially ended Hillary Clinton’s campaign, only making next month’s primaries in North Carolina and Indiana that much more important. Rich Matthews, the Associated Press, Evansville, Indiana.
DISCLAIMER:
Please note that TRNN transcripts are typed from a recording of the program; The Real News Network cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
Story Transcript
RICH MATTHEWS (VOICEOVER): Barack Obama put nearly 800 miles between him and his Pennsylvania loss, flying from the big city of Philadelphia to the small town of Evansville, Indiana, Tuesday night. Obama was greeted by thousands of his fired-up supporters and quickly addressed what happened in the keystone state.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (D): You know, there are a lot of folks who didn’t think we could make this a race when it started. They thought we were going to be blown out. And now, six weeks later, we closed the gap.
MATTHEWS: Closed the gap, but lost by 10 percentage points. Still, Obama’s message was upbeat.
OBAMA: We can build on the movement we started in this campaign, a movement that’s united Democrats, independents, Republicans, young, old, rich, poor, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight.
MATTHEWS: While Senator Clinton has the momentum, Obama has several things going for him in India. He’s already proven he can win in a similar state like Iowa. His home is in neighboring Illinois, and he arrived here twelve hours before Hillary Clinton, dominating news coverage in the state.
MATTHEWS (ON CAMERA): So, not a surprise for Barack Obama, but certainly a disappointment. He was once again unable to throw the knockout punch that could have essentially ended Hillary Clinton’s campaign, only making next month’s primaries in North Carolina and Indiana that much more important. Rich Matthews, the Associated Press, Evansville, Indiana.
DISCLAIMER:
Please note that TRNN transcripts are typed from a recording of the program; The Real News Network cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
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