Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday after a grueling marathon, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.Campaigning on an insistent call for change, Obama outlasted former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a historic race that sparked record turnout in primary after primary, yet exposed deep racial and gender divisions within the party.The tally was based on public declarations from delegates as well as from another 15 who have confirmed their intentions to the AP.
It also included 11 delegates Obama was guaranteed as long as he gained 30 percent of the vote in South Dakota and Montana later in the day. It takes 2,118 delegates to clinch the nomination.
The 46-year-old first-term senator will face John McCain in the fall campaign to become the 44th president. The Arizona senator campaigned in Memphis during the day, and had no immediate reaction to Obama's victory.
Earlier reports
Democrat Barack Obama edged towards becoming the first black presidential nominee in US history Tuesday, but Hillary Clinton's camp denied reports she was about to fold her campaign.
Clinton's campaign staff issued a statement denying the reports that she would be "conceding" defeat at her NY base and that she would quit."Senator Clinton will not concede the nomination this evening," a statement from the Clinton campaign read, saying reports that she would do were wrong.
"Not true," another aide said, on condition of anonymity, when asked whether she would throw in the towel.
Tonight, Voters in the last two states, Montana and South Dakota, closed out a historic and often bitter coast-to-coast nomination duel, as the Democratic Party coalesced around its all but certain 2008 general election champion.
With Obama cruising to victory, Clinton will be favoured to be a "vice" president and is reported to be ready to admit defeat and acknowledge Obama had the nomination secured, at a "celebration" tonight.
But Who said Senator Obama should NOT give the vice presidency to Her Majesty Clinton? You are Wrong Hillary Rodham Clinton will concede tonight that Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, effectively ending her bid to be the nation's first female president and possibly be considered for Vice-presidency by Obama.
Obama is 40 delegates shy of clinching the nomination, but he is widely expected to make up the difference Tuesday with superdelegate support and votes in South Dakota and Montana. Once he reaches the magic number of 2,118, Clinton will acknowledge that he has secured the necessary delegates to be the nominee.
The former first lady will stop short of formally suspending or ending her race in her speech in New York City.
