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With today's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky, many pundits and media outlets are highlighting the possibility Senator Barack Obama may end the day with the majority of pledged Democratic delegates.
CNN reports there are 3,253 pledged delegates, and Obama, even with a poor showing today, should easily top the 1,627 delegates needed to gain a majority.
A candidate needs 2,026 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. Going into Oregon and Kentucky's races, Obama has 1,909 delegates, while Senator Hillary Clinton has 1,718.
Jezebel writes from Oregon, "... and it's raining. Of course. We have our traditions to uphold, after all.
Yay, rain!
You won't see exit polls for the Oregon primary - or if you do, they won't be particularly reliable, since the vast majority of us have already voted over the past two weeks, thanks to our vote-by-mail system. About the only people 'going to the the polls' today will be those dropping off their mail-in ballots at their county elections offices (or other designated dropoff points). Some few folks do that because they enjoy the civic ritual of putting their ballots in a box, but fewer every election."
Sherry Chandler, in Kentucky, says, "The polls are open in Kentucky. Our votes matter in this election and that’s important. Bill Clinton said this is a vitally important election.
But they all are vitally important elections.
We have to elect U.S. Senate candidates, state senate candidates, city councilmen, county magistrates…
Agree with me or disagree about the better candidate, but go and exercise your right to vote. It’s what keeps you free.
And let us have joy in our political process, that lets us choose our leader."
Pauline Park at The Visible Vote '08 writes, "Hillary Clinton will win Kentucky today; of that, there can be no doubt. The only question is the margin of victory. Real Clear Politics averages several polls to come up with a 29-point lead. My guess is a margin of 25-30%, which would certainly be a landslide, but not one that her opponent has not also enjoyed in previous Democratic primaries such as Maryland, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
And Barack Obama will win Oregon, if by a smaller margin. The RCP average is 12%, and my guess is that the final number will be somewhere between 7-15%, though I think there’s an outside chance that he could come in as high as 20%."
Obama is expected to deliver a speech from Iowa tonight, while Clinton is slated to remain in Kentucky as results are known.
Today's primaries come as media outlets report doctor's have found a malignant tumor in Senator Ted Kennedy's brain.
Obama told CNN that the news about Kennedy is "heartbreaking."
"I would not be sitting here as a presidential candidate were it not for some of the battles he fought as a senator — he battled for voting rights and civil rights when I was a child. I stand on his shoulders," Obama said.
Clinton issued a statement saying, "Ted Kennedy's courage and resolve are unmatched, and they have made him one of the greatest legislators in Senate history. Our thoughts are with him and Vicki and we are praying for a quick and full recovery."
Join BlogHer in the comments as we watch results come in from both states. Be sure to leave a link back to your own election post on the Mr. Linky widget below.
