Issues, Indecision And Strategic Voting

Anne Watson, 30, typically votes Republican but saw no point this time, now that McCain has wrapped up the nomination.

It was important to her that the November ballot have what she called "the right Democrat, somebody who has my values and morals," she said. "After a lot of thought, I decided on Obama."

She does not yet know whom she would choose in November, but she likes Obama's decision not to take campaign contributions from political action committees. "He makes up his own mind," Watson said.

-- Peter Slevin

After the Speech

SOUTH BEND, Ind.

T he West Side Democratic Club is officially agnostic in the Democratic race. Bill Clinton led a recent rally here for his wife. But the room was rocking tonight, and it rocked for Barack.

At an event billed as an unlikely joint celebration for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the Obama fans had the Clinton crowd outnumbered. Even as the statewide race remained close, the room thundered when word came that Obama had won St. Joseph County, where two strong organizations went head to head for weeks.

"O-bam-a! O-bam-a!"

When Obama appeared on the television screen, declaring victory in North Carolina, the 200 Obama partisans erupted again in cheers and applause. "Yes, we can!" "Yes, we can!"

Standing in a clutch for solidarity, half a dozen women in white Hillary T-shirts ("Strength -- Vision -- Courage") kept their hands at their sides, silently trying to summon a miracle finish. Speech over, they pushed outdoors into the night air.

"At this point, I'm still for Hillary," said Chris Lim of South Bend. "I always have been for Hillary, and I always will be."

Across the way, her friend Pam Peck seemed to be looking ahead. "I'm voting for the Democrat," Peck said. "Whoever gets it, that's who I'm voting for."

-- Peter Slevin