Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Obama Wins Big in South Carolina; Next Up, Super Tuesday
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 27, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 27, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Barack Obama won the South Carolina Democratic primary yesterday, taking 55% of the vote, winning by a greater margin than most pundits and recent polls had predicted. Hillary Clinton finished second with 27% and John Edwards came in third. The NY Times headline writes that he won by "forging a coalition of support among black and white voters in a contest that sets the stage for a state-by-state fight for the party’s presidential nomination."
Obama said to supporters, "The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It's not about rich vs. poor, young vs. old. And it is not about black vs. white. This election is about the past vs. the future. It's about whether we settle for the same divisions and distractions and drama that passes for politics today or whether we reach for a politics of common sense and innovation, a politics of shared sacrifice and shared prosperity."
Obama's win was thanks to 81% of the African-American vote, plus 25% of the white vote (Edwards won the white vote, with 39%, but only had 1% of the black vote; Clinton had 36% of the white vote). Many voters were not happy with the attacks between the two campaigns, especially Bill Clinton's involvement. The former president is getting hammered for referring to Jesse Jackson's 1984 and 1988 wins in South Carolina (which didn't ensure Democratic nominations):
Another reporter asked what it said about Obama that it “took two people to beat him.” Clinton again passed. “That’s’ just bait, too. Jesse Jackson won South Carolina twice, in '84 and '88. And he ran a good campaign. Senator Obama's run a good campaign here, he’s run a good campaign everywhere.”
Oh, brother. Bill Clinton did say Obama won "fair and square" (Hillary Clinton herself didn't really make a S.C. concession speech - she was in Nashville where she gave mostly a stump speech).
Now that both Clinton and Obama have won two primaries each, the Washington Post points out "the candidates face the possibility of an extended conflict that aides in both campaigns said Saturday could stretch into March or even April." The first big showdown is February 5, which is Super Tuesday when delegates from states like California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, are up for grabs.
And speaking of New York, New Yorker and former First Daughter Carolyn Kennedy has an op-ed in the NY Times, endorsing Obama. Here's an excerpt of the piece, titled "A President Like My Father":
OVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
Tagged
america
barack obama
bill clinton
black and white
california
clinton
election 2008
hillary clinton
jesse jackson
john edwards
Massachusetts
nashville
new jersey
new york
new yorker
ny times
obama
Politics
presidential candidate
Senator Obama
south carolina
Super Tuesday
the future
washington
washington post
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
ICE agent fires 7 rounds, shoots man in neck in NYC's Marble Hill, NYPD says
Police say the man arrived at a hospital in stable condition and a 5-year-old boy in his SUV is safe.
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 8, 2026 at 5:33 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 8, 2026 at 11:48 p.m. ET
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
Jersey City mayor shakes up staff amid $255M budget gap
By
Michael Sol Warren
Bronx residents will be exempt from new Medicaid work rule, state officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
MTA chair accuses Andy Byford, who's leading Penn Station rebuild, of going 'full MAGA'
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Carol Chen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .