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Last big primaries for Democrats Last big primaries for Democrats
(about 3 hours later)
Voters in two US states are taking part in the last major Democratic party primaries which help decide who will be the party's presidential nominee. Voting is coming to a close in two US states in the last major Democratic party primaries, which help decide the party's presidential nominee.
Barack Obama, who currently leads the race, and Hillary Clinton are battling it out in Indiana and North Carolina.Barack Obama, who currently leads the race, and Hillary Clinton are battling it out in Indiana and North Carolina.
Victories for Mr Obama would all but eliminate Mrs Clinton from the nomination contest, observers say. Polls suggested Mrs Clinton was ahead in Indiana and had been eating into Mr Obama's lead in North Carolina.
But polls suggest the race may be close in Indiana, and Mrs Clinton is cutting Mr Obama's lead in North Carolina. Observers say if Mrs Clinton lost both primaries it would all but eliminate her from the nomination contest.
Mr Obama got a publicity boost on Monday in the form of an endorsement from the Hollywood actor, Tom Hanks. On the other hand, a double win for the former first lady could fuel doubts about her rival's electability.
He said the Illinois senator "has the integrity and the inspiration to unify us". Unassailable lead?
The atmosphere here is electric. It's the first election in my lifetime in which our state has been a determining factor in the primary season Diane Singleton, Bloomington, Indiana class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7379690.stm">Democratic voters' views class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7386040.stm">In pictures: US primaries "As an official celebrity, I know my endorsement has just made your mind up for you," Mr Hanks joked. The two Democrats are vying to face Republican John McCain in November's presidential vote.
Mr Obama leads the race in delegates ahead of the party's nominating convention in August by 1,745 to 1,608, according to an Associated Press count. The atmosphere here is electric. It's the first election in my lifetime in which our state has been a determining factor in the primary season Diane Singleton, Bloomington, Indiana class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7379690.stm">Democratic voters' views class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7386040.stm">In pictures: US primaries class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7224970.stm">Who are the delegates?
Early estimates suggested strong turnouts in both primaries on Tuesday. Estimates suggested brisk turnout in both primaries on Tuesday.
Even before the polls opened at 0630 (1030 GMT) in North Carolina, nearly half a million people had cast early and absentee ballots - more than half the total number of votes cast in the primary in 2004. Indiana, where voting finished at 1900 on Tuesday (2300 GMT), is home to large numbers of blue-collar workers, a group which has backed to Mrs Clinton in previous contests.
'Sabre-rattling' In North Carolina, Mr Obama is expected to benefit from the votes of African-Americans, who make up more than a third of the electorate there.
Correspondents say it is next to impossible in the remaining primaries for either candidate to cross the threshold of 2,025 delegates needed to win the nomination. Mrs Clinton has cut Mr Obama's lead in North Carolina to single digits in most polls over recent weeks and the two have been close in Indiana, where she has had the edge.
This means the nearly 800 super-delegates - party officials and politicians - will have the final say. Before voting began, Mr Obama told reporters in Greenwood, Indiana: "I think we've campaigned hard. I think it's going to be close. I'm seeing a lot of enthusiasm."
"I feel good," Mr Obama told reporters as he visited a restaurant in Greenwood, Indiana, before the voting began. Mrs Clinton told reporters in Indianapolis: "Every race is filled with the unexpected. It's like life. You never know what's going to happen."
"I think we've campaigned hard. I think it's going to be close. I'm seeing a lot of enthusiasm," he said. Mr Obama, an Illinois senator, has an almost unassailable lead in delegates, the party officials who will choose the nominee at the Democratic convention in August.
Barack Obama wants to finish off the Clinton campaignBarack Obama wants to finish off the Clinton campaign
Mrs Clinton, who toured the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, refused to make any predictions as to the final outcome. Altogether, 187 delegates are at stake in Indiana and North Carolina, nearly half the remaining total. Six state contests are left.
"Every race is filled with the unexpected," she said. Mr Obama was leading the race in delegates by 1,745 to 1,608, according to an Associated Press count on Tuesday.
"You never know what's going to happen from day to day... I never make predictions." But neither can win enough delegates to clinch the race before voting ends on 3 June.
Wooing those super-delegates, the former first lady has been saying she is the Democrats' best chance to beat the presumptive Republican candidate John McCain in November's presidential vote. This means that nearly 800 super-delegates - senior party members - will have the final say.
But Mr Obama has criticised Mrs Clinton for her stance on Iran. Clinton 're-energised'
He compared it to President George W Bush's "foreign policy of bluster and sabre-rattling and tough talk". The two Democrats, courting voters suffering from an ailing economy, have spent recent days sparring over Mrs Clinton's proposal to suspend the federal petrol tax for the summer.
"It's not the language we need right now," he said. Mr Obama and many economists called the plan a political gimmick that would save little money for most families.
He also called her federal petrol tax suspension plan a "gimmick" that would "help big oil". But Mrs Clinton launched an advertisement in both states questioning her rival's stance. She said the plan would be financed by a windfall tax on oil firms.
Mrs Clinton has said she had no regrets about promising to "totally obliterate" Iran if it attacked Israel with nuclear weapons - a scenario that was put to her two weeks ago.
"Why would I have any regrets?" she asked on ABC television.
"I am asked a question about what I would do if Iran attacked our ally, a country that many of us have a great deal of, you know, connection with and feeling for."
She also defended her proposal to suspend petrol taxes for the summer, which she said a windfall tax on oil companies would finance.
"We can't just plan for the future, we have to help people in the here and now... We need to go after the oil companies," she said.
Final eight contests
Mr Obama's campaign was dealt a blow first by Mrs Clinton's convincing win in Pennsylvania two weeks ago and then by provocative remarks from his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright.
Mrs Clinton is hoping to persuade Democrats she is the right candidateMrs Clinton is hoping to persuade Democrats she is the right candidate
He narrowly defeated Mrs Clinton in Sunday's caucus in the tiny Pacific territory of Guam. Analysts say Mrs Clinton saved her candidacy and has been re-energised by her win in Pennsylvania two weeks ago.
Mr Obama has struggled through a rocky campaign stretch, dogged by controversy over his gaffe that small-town residents were "bitter" and fiery criticisms of America by his former pastor, Rev Jeremiah Wright.
He sought to draw a line under the preacher row last week by repudiating Mr Wright's remarks as "destructive".
Mr Obama received a publicity boost on Monday with an endorsement from Hollywood star Tom Hanks and narrowly beat Mrs Clinton the day before in a caucus at the tiny Pacific territory of Guam.
Because of the way the Democratic Party distributes the vote, each candidate won two delegates.Because of the way the Democratic Party distributes the vote, each candidate won two delegates.
Mr Obama will now be hoping for wins in both Indiana and North Carolina to deal Mrs Clinton's revived campaign a knockout blow, analysts say. The remaining Democratic primaries will take place over the next month in West Virginia, Oregon, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota.
But Mrs Clinton promised that Tuesday's primaries would be a "game changer". Altogether, 187 delegates are at stake in the two states, nearly half the remaining total.
After Tuesday, there are only six state contests left in the Democrats' long nominating process.