Clinton Defeats Obama in Pennsylvania Primary

On issues, the six weeks between the March 4 votes in Texas and Ohio and today changed little. The economy remained the dominant issue -- named by more than half of all voters as the most pressing issue facing the country -- with Iraq and health care lagging far behind. Both candidates had focused heavily on the economy, particularly the rising costs of gasoline, in the runup to today's primary.

Women comprised nearly six in ten voters and Clinton won that group, 56 percent to 44 percent, according to updated exit polling. Obama claimed the male vote by a slightly smaller margin of seven.

As has been the case almost since the beginning of the primary season, the vote was divided starkly along racial lines. Clinton won the white vote 60 percent to 40 percent while Obama claimed the black vote by a massive 92 percent to eight percent margin. White voters made up more than 80 percent of today's electorate while black voters comprised 13 percent.

Mirroring the results in Ohio and Texas, both of which voted on March 4, late deciders opted for Clinton. Among those making up their mind in the last three days, Clinton led Obama 57 percent to 42 percent; those who decided on their candidate before that time split almost evenly between Obama (51 percent) and Clinton (49 percent).

Voters who own a gun and attend religious services went for Clinton by double digits. Clinton received 60 percent among those who own a gun or have a gun in their household; the New York Senator carried a 12 point margin among those voters who attend religious service weekly and a slightly more narrow seven point edge among those who occasionally go to some form of religious services.

Obama created a massive controversy in the runup to the Pennsylvania vote by telling a group of donors at a San Francisco fundraiser that those living in small communities in the Keystone State "cling" to guns or religion.

Following her primary victories in Texas and Ohio, Clinton entered the six-week stretch leading up to the Pennsylvania vote as the prohibitive favorite. Polling showed her with wide double-digit leads over Obama and there was some talk that the Illinois senator might not play seriously in the state.

That suggestion proved unfounded as, buoyed by the endorsement of home-state Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and an extended bus trip through the state, Obama rapidly closed the gap with Clinton. In the final weeks of the race, Obama heavily outspent Clinton on television -- raising the possibility, if not the probability, that he could end the nomination fight with a win in the Keystone State.

Clinton needs a strong showing in Pennsylvania and the remaining contests to help make her case to party officials and superdelegates to the national convention this summer that she is the stronger Democratic candidate to take on Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) this fall.

Both candidates began their day in Pennsylvania. Obama munched on pancakes at Pamela's Diner in Pittsburgh this morning, although he flew to events in Indiana later in the day. Clinton will spend her day and night in Philadelphia where her campaign is planning a victory party.

Heading into today's voting, Clinton trailed Obama in pledged delegates and the popular vote. Pennsylvania, and its 4.2 million registered Democrats, represents the New York senator's best chance to drastically cut into Obama's margins on both scores.

At stake in Pennsylvania are 158 pledged delegates -- by far the biggest trove available in the final 10 contests. With the exceptions of Indiana (72 delegates), North Carolina (115) and Puerto Rico (55 delegates), Pennsylvania has roughly the same number of delegates at stake today as all of the other six remaining contests combined.