Dear Editor,
Congratulations are in order for Hillary Clinton who lives to fight another day having edged out Senator Barack Obama in the New Hampshire (NH) Primary, the first in the nation that allows members of the parties to choose their nominee rather than having party officials choose the nominee for them as happens in countries like Guyana.
Many Guyanese had called me prior to the elections to express their worries that Clinton was going down to defeat. They love her and want her to be the next President. Had she lost in NH, that would probably have eroded her chances of getting the nomination. If she sustains her performance from NH, then her chances of still winning the nomination are good.
Otherwise, her goose is cooked and Obama would win the nomination. Political pundits had commented on the eve of the NH primary that Clinton was finished. But she rallied the forces and has won. But she is not safe and in fact is still trailing Obama nationally – a reversal of fortunes from a few months ago.
Senator Obama defeated Clinton last week in Iowa, the first state to hold a caucus, as opinion polls had correctly predicted. National polls now have Clinton trailing Obama for the nomination.
Only weeks ago, Clinton was a shoo in to win the nomination and defeat the Republican candidate for the Presidency. Now, she is the underdog. Polls showed her going down to defeat by huge margins in New Hampshire. But she came out strong thanks to older women voters who cast ballots for her.
Obama is strong among younger female voters as well as among males. Clinton is not well liked by male voters and that has been her Achilles heel. After the Iowa defeat where college students went for Obama, Clinton began to stump at colleges and places where young people go in NH. She made gains among the young and pulled off an upset.
Clinton was also spared a humiliation in NH because half of the independent voters (45% of the state’s voting population) decided to cast ballots in the Republican primary rather than in the Democratic primary. Most went for John McCain. Independents in the Democratic Primary went for Obama.
In Iowa, most independents voted in the Democratic Primary and went for Obama helping to defeat Clinton. Also, 5% of the Democratic voters in the Iowa caucuses were Republicans who crossed over from their party to assist Obama to defeat Clinton. Republicans do not like the Clintons and have targeted Hillary to prevent her from becoming the Democratic nominee. They fear once she wins the Democratic nomination, she would be unstoppable in the November elections when the President is chosen.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
