Unexpected win for Hillary Clinton
HILLARY Clinton defied the bookies and beat Barack Obama in New Hampshire's primary last night after a heated competition that turned nasty.
As her chief Democrat rival Barack Obama prepared to celebrate his second win over White House rival Hillary Clinton last night, New Hampshire's voters surprised everybody.
On winning the New Hampshire primary vote, a victorious Clinton told her cheering supporters: "Over the last week I listened to you and in the process I found my own voice. I felt like we all spoke from our hearts and I am so gratified that you responded."
A humbled Mr Obama said: "I want to congratulate Senator Clinton on a hard fought victory here in New Hampshire. She did an outstanding job - give her a big round of applause."
Vietnam war veteran John McCain won the Republican primary in New Hampshire in an unexpected comeback.
The news came amid suggestions last night that Hillary Clinton was staring defeat in the face in her bid for the White House.
It seemed Barack Obama was storming to another audacious victory in the crucial New Hampshire primary.
I want to congratulate Senator Clinton on a hard fought victory - she did an outstanding job
So desperate were members of her team become that one even hinted yesterday that Obama, 46, could be assassinated if he becomes America’s first black President.
Obama - the bookies’ favourite to become the Democratic Party nominee and storm the White House in the November general election - was on the verge of sinking Hillary’s career, moving his supporters to tears with his speeches promising “hope and change”.
Last night a desperate Clinton criticised him for comparing himself to John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King – who were gunned down at the height of their power.
Hillary, 60, accused Obama of raising “false hopes” and relying on the “poetry” of his speeches.
Her younger rival fired back that his message of hope was no more false than Kennedy’s successful bid to put a man on the moon and King’s fight to end racial segregation.
Clinton has repeatedly sneered at Obama’s inexperience, running for President less than two years after becoming a Senator for Illinois.
Yesterday she said: “You know, Obama used JFK and Martin Luther King to criticise me. He basically compared himself to our greatest heroes. But Kennedy was in Congress for 14 years. He was a war hero and a man of great readiness to be President. King led a movement.
“I’m running for President because there is not a contradiction between experience and change.”
But after her third place defeat in Iowa last week and then steeling herself for failure in New Hampshire, Clinton lost not only her cool but also her emotional composure.
When asked by women in a cafe how she was coping, her eyes filled with tears. “I just don’t want to see us fall backwards as a nation,” she said.
Choking, she continued: “I mean, this is very personal for me. Not just political. Some people think elections are a game – who’s up or who’s down – but it’s about our country.”
Later a campaign aide Francine Torge was condemned for comments made while introducing Clinton. “Some people compare one of the other candidates to John F Kennedy. But he was assassinated,” said Torge ominously.
A Clinton spokesman later said her remarks were “totally inappropriate”.
He said: “We were not aware that this person was going to make those comments and disapprove of them completely.”
Clinton will now prepare for Super Tuesday on February 5, when half the states vote. The winners then will almost certainly bag their party’s nomination.
