Barack Obama wins Democratic nomination race

By Ann Turner • June 3, 2008 - 22:44

Obama has passed the goal line in delegates to win the nomination over Hillary Clinton

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Although other media sources stills say Illinois Senator Barack Obama is short of the needed delegates to clinch the Democratic Presidential nomination, the Associated Press is already calling the race for Obama.

According to an AP tally, Obama has passed the goal line in delegates to win the nomination over Hillary Clinton.

Reports earlier today indicated Clinton plans to concede the nomination this evening in a speech from New York, but her campaign has denied any plans of concession to the press.

USA Today, however, reports Clinton’s campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said if Obama does reach the required number of delegates to take the nomination, Clinton "will congratulate him and call him the nominee."

An Associated Press report released Tuesday afternoon claims Barack Obama has "effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination" according to their tally of public delegate commitments and more than a dozen "private commitments."

The count also includes a speculative "minimum number of delegates" from the final two Democratic primaries in South Dakota and Montana.

The AP trumpeted Obama’s success in becoming the "first black candidate ever to lead his party into a campaign for the White House."

However, other media sources, including USA Today, pointed out that the AP tally was based partially on still undetermined delegates and was not an "official" win yet for Obama.

Obama needs a total of 2,118 delegates to take the Democratic Presidential nomination.

NBC’s Chuck Todd this morning still put the Illinois Senator 30 delegates short of the needed total. "There’s no need to jump the gun," Todd said on MSNBC.

A statement released by the Obama campaign at 3:00 p.m. ET said that Obama is still 30.5 delegates short of the total needed to take the nomination, though endorsements from previously unpledged superdelegates are predicted to continue trickling in throughout the day.

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