Politisite Real Time Election Results South Carolina Democratic Primary

Obama projected winner in S.C.

By David Lightman - Washington Bureau

 

COLUMBIA | Barack Obama cruised to a decisive victory in South Carolina's presidential primary Saturday with overwhelming support from black voters and about one-fourth of whites as well, a win that leaves Hillary Clinton humbled and John Edwards staggering.

Clinton and her husband, the former president, fought hard in the final days to overtake the Illinois senator, or at least come close in a state where polls found she was the front-runner just last month. Instead, early exit polls suggested she was in a battle for second with former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

The result sets up a showdown between Obama, Clinton and possibly Edwards in 22 states and American Samoa on Feb. 5, when primaries and caucuses will award a total of 1,678 pledged delegates. A candidate needs 2,205 delegates to be nominated.

Clinton tried mightily to create a no-lose scenario in South Carolina, leaving the state

Barack Obama won the South Carolina Democratic primary Saturday, FOX News projects, a victory that could help realign his campaign after suffering back-to-back losses to Hillary Clinton.

Early SC Exit Poll Highlights

By The Associated Press – 40 minutes ago

Some highlights of preliminary data from exit polls conducted for The Associated Press and television networks in the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday:

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IT'S THE ECONOMY, AGAIN

Given three choices, half the voters said the economy was the most important issue facing the country — up from 38 percent in the only other competitive Democratic primary to date, in New Hampshire on Jan. 8. About a quarter picked health care, comparable to New Hampshire. Only about one in five picked Iraq, down from 27 percent in New Hampshire.

WHAT DO YOU WANT IN A CANDIDATE?

As in New Hampshire, three in four Barack Obama voters said the most important quality in a candidate is that he can bring about needed change. Four in 10 Hillary Rodham Clinton voters said their priority was that a candidate has the right experience while nearly three in 10 picked change. As usual, John Edwards scored highest on empathy — at least half his voters said it was most important that the candidate "cares about people like me." Few voters said the candidate's electability was their top priority.

ISSUES OR CANDIDATE QUALITIES?

Asked whether their candidate's positions on issues or leadership and personal qualities were more important to their vote, six in 10 said issues.

READY FOR A FIRST

Three in four voters said the country is ready to elect a black president and about as many said that about a woman. Somewhat more Clinton voters said the country is not ready to elect a black than Obama voters said the country wasn't ready to elect a female president.

ATTACK!!!!!

After the contentious Democratic debate Monday night, three in four Obama voters said Clinton had attacked Obama unfairly and slightly fewer than half accused their own candidate of attacking Clinton unfairly. Two-thirds of Clinton voters said Obama attacked her unfairly and nearly as many said she attacked him unfairly. Edwards voters were more likely than either of the other candidates' supporters to say both Clinton and Obama attacked each other unfairly.

LOOKING AHEAD

Roughly four out of five voters would be satisfied if Clinton or Obama wins the Democratic nomination. Slightly more Clinton voters would be dissatisfied with Obama than vice-versa.

Slightly more Obama voters say Clinton would be more likely to be the eventual Democratic nominee than vice-versa.

From a partial sample of 1,269 voters conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International in 35 precincts in South Carolina's Democratic primary. Margin of sampling error plus or minus 4 percentage points.