Wisconsin Democratic primary, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Wisconsin Democratic primary took place on February 19, 2008. 74 pledged delegates were at stake. The Hawaii Democratic caucuses, 2008
took place the same day.
The Wisconsin primary came after Senator Barack Obama
had won the majority of delegates and votes in 8 straight primaries and caucuses; his wins in Wisconsin, and Hawaii extended his winning streak to 10 and reinforced his front runner
status.
In the days leading up to the primary the Hillary Clinton campaign ran television ads criticizing Obama on healthcare and for not agreeing to more candidate debates. This caused the Obama campaign to launch a response ad that mentioned the 18 debates already held and 2 more scheduled. The Clinton campaign also charged Obama using lines in a speech similar to words spoken by Massachusetts
Governor and Obama friend Deval Patrick
; Patrick responded by saying he and Obama often swap ideas, and that he had willingly shared lines without asking for credit to be given. Barack Obama was the winner.
poll taken February 13 reported that almost one-fourth of those polled said there was a good chance they might change their mind. It also found that while Clinton was doing well among women, with a 10 point advantage over Obama, Obama was polling 23 points higher than her among men.
, Nebraska
, Virginia
, Maryland
, Washington, D.C.
following Super Tuesday
.
Hillary Clinton enjoyed healthy leads among white voters in previous states and hoped that winning Wisconsin or at least the white vote would allow for a victory of sorts. However, CNN Exit Polls showed that Obama won the white vote (which comprised 87% of the electorate on primary day) 54%-45%. Also, other key Clinton constituencies showed Obama making significant strides such as the female vote which split 50%-50%, the 54-65 Age Group which voted for Obama 54%-45%.
After the victory in Wisconsin as well as Caucuses in Washington and a primary in Hawaii
held on the same day gave Obama the momentum of winning 10 straight contests. The Pledged delegate standing after the Wisconsin Primary was Obama leading 1154-1011.
Hawaii Democratic caucuses, 2008
The 2008 Hawaii Democratic Presidential Caucuses took place on February 19, 2008, with 20 pledged delegates at stake. The winner in each of Hawaii's two congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 13. Another seven delegates were awarded to both candidates at the...
took place the same day.
The Wisconsin primary came after Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
had won the majority of delegates and votes in 8 straight primaries and caucuses; his wins in Wisconsin, and Hawaii extended his winning streak to 10 and reinforced his front runner
Front Runner
The Front Runner is a small day sailing dinghy. It is a high-performance, responsive, and comfortable one-design class sailboat. It is stable and user-friendly, having an immense cockpit with all control lines leading aft...
status.
In the days leading up to the primary the Hillary Clinton campaign ran television ads criticizing Obama on healthcare and for not agreeing to more candidate debates. This caused the Obama campaign to launch a response ad that mentioned the 18 debates already held and 2 more scheduled. The Clinton campaign also charged Obama using lines in a speech similar to words spoken by Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Governor and Obama friend Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
; Patrick responded by saying he and Obama often swap ideas, and that he had willingly shared lines without asking for credit to be given. Barack Obama was the winner.
Polls
Polls taken throughout 2007 consistently put Hillary Clinton in the lead, but during February 2008 most polls showed Barack Obama with the advantage. A RasmussenRasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
poll taken February 13 reported that almost one-fourth of those polled said there was a good chance they might change their mind. It also found that while Clinton was doing well among women, with a 10 point advantage over Obama, Obama was polling 23 points higher than her among men.
Results
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
| Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | National delegates |
| Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
646,851 | 58.08% | 42 |
| Hillary Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the... |
453,954 | 40.76% | 32 |
| John Edwards John Edwards Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in... |
6,693 | 0.60% | 0 |
| Dennis Kucinich Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections.... |
2,625 | 0.24% | 0 |
| Joe Biden Joe Biden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama... |
755 | 0.07% | 0 |
| Bill Richardson | 528 | 0.05% | 0 |
| Mike Gravel Mike Gravel Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election.... |
517 | 0.05% | 0 |
| Christopher Dodd Christopher Dodd Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress.... |
501 | 0.04% | 0 |
| Uninstructed | 861 | 0.08% | 0 |
| Totals | 1,113,285 | 100% | 74 |
Analysis
In the weeks and days leading up to the Wisconsin Democratic Primary, most pundits agreed that it was Hillary Clinton's chance to halt Obama's momentum after winning contests in Washington, LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
following Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday, 2008
Super Tuesday 2008, Super Duper Tuesday, Mega Tuesday, Giga Tuesday, Tsunami Tuesday, and The Tuesday of Destiny are names for February 5, 2008, the day on which the largest simultaneous number of state U.S. presidential primary elections in the history of U.S. primaries were held...
.
Hillary Clinton enjoyed healthy leads among white voters in previous states and hoped that winning Wisconsin or at least the white vote would allow for a victory of sorts. However, CNN Exit Polls showed that Obama won the white vote (which comprised 87% of the electorate on primary day) 54%-45%. Also, other key Clinton constituencies showed Obama making significant strides such as the female vote which split 50%-50%, the 54-65 Age Group which voted for Obama 54%-45%.
After the victory in Wisconsin as well as Caucuses in Washington and a primary in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
held on the same day gave Obama the momentum of winning 10 straight contests. The Pledged delegate standing after the Wisconsin Primary was Obama leading 1154-1011.
See also
- Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
- Wisconsin Republican primary, 2008Wisconsin Republican primary, 2008The 2008 Wisconsin Primary for the Republicans was held on February 19, 2008. Polls in Wisconsin opened at 7:00 AM and closed 8:00 PM John McCain won the primary.- Polls leading up to Primary :Last 3 Poll Averages- Results :...