Feb 6, 2008 11:47 am US/Central
Obama: We Had Extraordinary Night
But Senator Still Careful To Cast Himself In Underdog Role
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Despite claiming a major victory on Super Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama still tried to portray himself on Wednesday as the underdog against Sen. Hillary Clinton.
"I believe we had an extraordinary night,'' Obama told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday. "Last night we won more delegates and we won more states.''
Obama won 13 of the 22 states holding Democratic primaries and caucuses, but Clinton won the night's two biggest prizes in New York, where her victory was widely expected, and in California, which polls had shown tightening up in the days leading up to the contest.
CBS News estimates Clinton has won 837 of the night's available delegates compared to Obama's 793.
However after all the counting is done, Obama's campaign believes they won 845 delegates to Clinton's 836.
Since the race kicked off with the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3, Clinton has won 974 delegates and Obama 905. Either candidate could end up ahead in the count by time all Super Tuesday delegates are apportioned.
"We're turning out to be a scrappy little team,'' Obama said, noting that some national polls had his campaign trailing Clinton by as many as 20 points only a few weeks ago.
While the Illinois senator was clearly ecstatic with last night's returns, he was careful not to cast him in the role of favorite.
"Senator Clinton remains the favorite,'' said Obama, adding that many in the Democratic establishment backed the New York senator before his campaign gained momentum.
And that momentum is fueled by strong voter turnout, especially among young voters.
"He's gaining with record turnout, record youth participation," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson. "He's emerging as a healer."
Obama still faces some tough challenges. He did poorly among Hispanics in California, which propelled Clinton to victory there. And the delegate-rich state of Texas will pose a similar challenge for him.
"It's just remarkable to think that just a few weeks ago Sen. Clinton announced that she was going to close out the nomination here on Super Tuesday, on Feb. 5, and instead I think we have the momentum moving forward," Obama chief strategist David Axelrod said Tuesday night.
"We're still the underdogs; we're still fighting the greatest machine in our party and the best-known name, we leave here with new confidence and new resolve."
Political Editor Mike Flannery and Chief Correspondent Jay Levine contributed to this report.
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