Obama loses Pa., focuses on next contests

Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama were outraged when MSNBC projected Sen. Hillary Clinton as the winner of the Pennsylvania primary.

Obama fans filled the outdoor patio of Waterworks restaurant as they crowded around TVs, waiting with baited breath for the results to come in.

When all of the votes were counted, Clinton won with a 10 point lead.

With the margin of defeat expanding and shrinking all night for Obama, his supporters were reluctant to say Clinton had a true victory.

“She needs a 20 percent victory, an absolute landside, and that’s not going to happen,” supporter Diana Galbraith said. “Barack Obama is on a slow and steady path to the White House.”

Obama supporter Josh Klimovich said Clinton’s win tonight in the race to become the Democratic presidential nominee is keeping all of the nonsense alive.

“She is dying a slow and painful death in this election, but definitely not fast enough,” he said.

Obama spent the night campaigning in Evansville, Ind. He congratulated Clinton on running a “terrific race” but said it’s not over yet.

“We closed the gap and rallied people of every age, race and background to the cause,” Obama said.

With the senator in the Midwest, local officials were on hand to sing his praises.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy thanked the crowd and pointed out that just a few months ago, Pennsylvania was considered Clinton country and that she would win by a very large margin.

“You should be so proud of what we have done,” Murphy said. “There were 10,000 people knocking on doors, working the change we all believe in.”

Murphy was joined on stage by fellow U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah and Sen. Bob Casey. Fattah highlighted Obama’s underdog status.

“What began as a whisper in Springfield, the whole world will hear in Denver when his name is announced at the convention,” Fattah said.

He said Obama will be the one to change the world, calling it a change for the better. As he exited the stage, Fattah led the crowd in Obama’s signature chant, “Fired up, ready to go.”

The Obama campaign is working toward the next races in Indiana and North Carolina on May 6, and Casey said there is still a lot of voting left to do.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Casey said. “We’ve got to make sure he gets the nomination, and then we’re going to come back and make sure he wins against Sen. John McCain.”

LeAnne Matlach can be reached at leannematlach@temple.edu.