Clinton claims victory

Too late to make the morning papers is the story of Hillary’s important win in the Pennsylvania primary

Behind Obama in the delegate count and facing pressure from some within her party to withdraw, Clinton secured the double digit victory (she won by 10 points) she badly needed to save her campaign.

It has been an amazing rollercoaster ride for the New York Senator and she will now plough on arguing that she, not her opponent, can win the big swing states that will bring her party a win in this autumn’s general election.

It is not a major surprise that Hillary won here (I thought she’d win by six, although one of my colleagues thought - perhaps hoped? - Obama could do it. Commiserations Dr Cook!). Pennsylvania’s demographics are very similar to Ohio, a state she also won by double figures. More, Obama may well have turned off voters with his “God and guns” gaffe in a state that was once described as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with the South in between.

If Hillary had won by less than 10 points, we would probably expect Hillary to concede sooner or later, but she can now claim that the momentum is behind her and the superdelegates should back a candidate that does not shirk a good fight.

Obama will argue that he has energised the campaign, brought hundreds of thousands of new voters into the Democratic party and that he is ahead in the popular vote.

Whatever, it still seems that the largest beneficiary in the Democratic primary contest is the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain.

See the BBC report by video clip here