kentucky landslide

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gives her victory speech from Louisville, Kentucky, after winning that state's primary by thirty-five points.

We liveblogged her speech last night. Check out our other election coverage posts from yesterday's exciting primaries in Kentucky and Oregon: Hillary Takes Kentucky, Kentucky Liveblog Parts 1, 2, and 3, Obama Wins Oregon, Split Decision, and You've Got A Friend In Me.

split decision

Barack Obama is not only winning Oregon tonight by double digits, he surpassed a milestone in his campaign: a pledged delegate majority.

But with Hillary Clinton's 35-point spread in Kentucky tonight, she's emboldened and she's not going anywhere. She said in her victory speech tonight that more people have voted for her than for any other candidate in a Democratic primary... ever.

So once again, we have a split decision. Where do we go from here? With only two states and one territory left, we've got to let the voters in Montana, South Dakota, and Puerto Rico have their voices heard.

And we can't forget Michigan and Florida, who turned out over two million strong. As Democrats, we cannot disenfranchise anyone, let alone voters in pivotal swing states! Count the votes, and we'll see what happens. We've come this far, so let's play it out until the end.

June 3. We've got it in our sights now. Soon, we'll have a nominee to unite behind and we'll push onward for a Democratic White House in November.

kentucky liveblog, part 2

7:38 p.m. - Clinton 65%, Obama 31%, with 86% of precincts reporting.
7:39 p.m. - Tim Russert thinks Hillary forgot about delegates, popular vote doesn't matter. Is Hillary going to fight or unite? She said she's going toe-to-toe. The maps that Hillary is citing to say she'll do better in the general were put together by Karl Rove.
7:40 p.m. - Wolf Blitzer says Hillary's winning Kentucky by 35 points. Polls close in Oregon in just over two hours.
7:42 p.m. - CNN: Obama campaign reporting 200,000 new contributors. Breaking all records, using internet, etc. Obama set to give speech in Des Moines, Iowa.
7:44 p.m. - Obama will probably wait for some results out of Oregon before speaking, will probably speak around 10 o'clock Eastern, 9 central.
7:45 p.m. - Howard Wolfson live in the studio at CNN after the break.
7:46 p.m. - MSNBC: Russert is talking about Obama's new donors, a great number of them gave less than $25 so they can be tapped over and over and over.
7:48 p.m. - Everyone's playing commercials.
7:49 p.m. - Howard Wolfson on CNN: Obama will continue to outraise us and outspend us, and we'll continue to beat him in state after state. We will have the resources we need to get our message out.
7:50 p.m. - Wolf Blitzer: How do you explain Obama's fundraising ability, when Clinton has Terry McAuliffe? Wolfson: Both candidates have broken fundraising records. Hillary has huge wins in WV and KY.
7:51 p.m. - Wolfson: MI and FL is a key part of the process, but it's not about us. It's about Dems being true to principles and making every vote count. We think they'll be seated and we'll obviously get those delegates. We'll do well in the upcoming states, we did well tonight, and we're ahead in the popular vote.
7:52 p.m. - Blitzer: Is it possible this will go to the convention? Wolfson: We don't have a nominee, if Obama gets the number of delegates required we'll salute him, but we don't have a nominee and we're going to keep on going. My expectation is that we will have a nominee, Sen. Clinton, before we go to Denver. It is premature for Obama to declare victory tonight.
7:54 p.m. - Pat Buchanan on MSNBC: Only one third of Hillary's voters said they'd vote for Obama in the general. If I were a superdelegate, I'd be looking at these monster victories... I'd be nervous.
7:55 p.m. - Keith Olbermann: On Feb. 5, Huckabee won big, Romney won big, are McCain's losses on Super Tuesday relevant to Obama's monstrous losses in West Virginia and Kentucky?
7:56 p.m. - Buchanan: Obama lost New York and California, but he's going to beat McCain there. Utah's Romney, Mormon thing. I think McCain is in trouble because of his position on trade in Michigan and Ohio.
7:57 p.m. - Olbermann: Obama will speak in about an hour before Oregon's polls close, based on his success in Kentucky by getting delegates there.
7:58 p.m. - Tammy Bruce on FOX News: Hillary should threaten an independent run. I admire what she's doing, I would rather have Hillary, someone who we know will listen as opposed to Barack Obama. Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary have seen what the party has turn into, it's run by George Soros and they're not happy with it and neither should anyone be.
8:01 p.m. - Sean Hannity: These results are devastating for Obama, only 1/3 of Hillary voters will vote for him. A majority associate him with Rev. Wright, less than half think he's honest. How can you win the general election if you can't win Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania?
8:04 p.m. - Hannity: Michelle Obama's comments about just now being proud of her country, Barack's comments about bitter voters clinging to guns and religion, I think that's playing a big role now. Do you think that plays a role [asking pro-Clinton guest]?
8:05 p.m. - Alan Colmes: Maria, he's trying to drag you over to trash Obama when you're here for Hillary. You have to include MI and FL, because you don't want to win this with people thinking it was manipulation.

kentucky liveblog

We'll be live-blogging election coverage on the major networks tonight. Now's a good time to hit the refresh button!

7:04 p.m. - Hillary is expected to address her supporters shortly.
7:05 p.m. - John King is using his magical CNN map thing to prove that Hillary could never win, but Wolf Blitzer chimes in that everything could change if the Rules Committee seats Michigan and Florida when they convene on May 31.
7:06 p.m. - FOX News numbers: Clinton 62%, Obama 33%, with 57% of precincts reporting.
7:07 p.m. - "Obama has a celebration planned in Iowa, where the magic of hope and change all started" on FOX News.
7:09 p.m. - Tim Russert on MSNBC: Hillary wants to be as tough as McCain, but Obama has a different worldview on foreign and defense policy, and the Dems must make a decision on which they want.
7:13 p.m. - Pat Buchanan on MSNBC: Hillary thinks she's earned the right to be on the ticket as VP, and if Obama denies her then she can get someone to nominate her from the floor, and if he doesn't take her as VP then he is responsible for losing his own election.
7:14 p.m. - MSNBC panel discusses how Hillary feels that Barack can't win the general.
7:15 p.m. - Hillary's victory speech!
7:16 p.m. - Hillary: Not here to win primary or election, but to fulfill ideals of nation, etc.
7:17 p.m. - Hillary: Sen. Ted Kennedy (applause, cheers) is one of the greatest progressive leader in party history, most effective leader in country's history, hero to millions of Americans. Proud to have stood by Kennedy to increase minimum wage, offer health care to millions of children. "Five extraordinary decades devoted to America." He's been with us through our fights and we're now with him through his.
7:18 p.m. - Tonight we've achieved an important victory. It's not just Kentucky bluegrass that's music to my ears. They said it was over (boos, groans), but you never gave up on me, I'll never give up on you.
7:19 p.m. - We're winning the popular vote.
7:20 p.m. - Sees eye-to-eye with Obama on electing a Democrat to the WH in November. Help her, go to hillaryclinton.com (crowd says it with her).
7:21 p.m. - We have to select a nominee best positioned to win in Nov. and best prepared to face the enormous challenges. That's what election is all about. More people have voted for me than for anyone that's ever run for the Democratic nomination - more than 17 million votes.
7:22 p.m. - You know our political process is more than candidates, ads, pundits, it's about the path we choose as a nation and whether or not we solve problems, rebuild economy, end Iraq war, restore American leadership, and stand up for you every day.
7:23 p.m. - Too many Americans have felt invisible, but you've never been invisible to me. I've been fighting for you my entire life.
7:24 p.m. - Every deserves health care, shot at the American dream, to fill the gas tank and buy the groceries, to build a better life for their children. New century poses new challenges to meet, if only we had a president ready, willing, and able to lead. (crowd chants "Yes she will!")
7:25 p.m. - We believe it will take a president with experience representing the people of the U.S. in more than 80 countries to restore moral authority in the world. America is worth fighting for. I've fought with determination, never giving up and never giving in.
7:26 p.m. - Not because I wanted to demonstrate my toughness, but I believe passionately that the Dems must take back the WH and end Republican rule. That's why I'm still running and you're still voting!
7:27 p.m. - I'm going to campaign in Montana, South Dakota and Puerto Rico, and keep standing up for the voters of Florida and Michigan. Those two states cast 2.3 million votes and they deserve to have those votes counted. I will make our case until we have a nominee, whoever SHE may be!
7:28 p.m. - Kentucky has a knack for picking presidents - delivered 2 terms to a president named Clinton. As Kentucky goes, so goes the nation. Neither Obama or I has won 2,210 delegates required to win the nomination. Neither of us will reach the magic number when voting ends on June 3. Our party will have a tough choice. Who's ready to lead our party at the top of the ticket? Who is ready to defeat McCain in swing states? Who is ready on day one to lead?
7:29 p.m. - So many Kentuckians I want to thank, thanks to Kentucky steering committee including former governors, etc. etc., friends in labor, Kentucky Veterans for Hillary, Chairman Terry McAuliffe, family, staff, volunteers, supporters, and in Oregon and across America.
7:31 p.m. - One more request for all of my supporters, for everyone that has helped the campaign. Keep working, keep fighting, keep standing up for what you believe is right. That is exactly what I'm going to do. People ask me how do I keep going, it is you that keeps me going. I think of all the women who were born before women could vote. So many barriers have crumbled and fallen, but we must break highest and hardest glass ceiling.
7:32 p.m. - Honored by support of woman whose husband is serving in military. Thankful to 11-year-old who sold bike and video games to support my campaign. Dalton, thank you so much, the $422 you raised helped carry the day in Kentucky.
7:33 p.m. - That's why I'm in this race to fight for your future. No matter what, I'll work to elect a Democratic president this fall. United we stand, divided we fall, those words inspired our founding fathers, by the people, for the people, in service and sacrifice. We will come together as a party united by common values and common cause. We know no boundaries of race, gender, geography, there will be no stopping us.
7:34 p.m. - We won't juust unite our party, we'll unite the country and make sure our best years are ahead of us.

hillary takes kentucky

The major networks have called it for Hillary Clinton in Kentucky. With over thirty percent of precincts reporting, CNN had Hillary up by more than ten percentage points over Barack Obama.

Clinton's win in Kentucky is being called a sweep -- she's winning big, everywhere:

According to exit polls in Kentucky, Clinton won among men, 62-32 percent, and among women, 67-27 percent.

She also beat Obama across all age groups, income groups and education levels.

Nine percent of Kentucky voters were black, and they broke for Obama 87%. Clinton won 71% of the white vote. In exit polling, over half of Democratic voters said that Obama shares the views of his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Polls show that Obama will likely have the advantage in Oregon's primary. We'll report later with more numbers, and with results from Oregon, whose last polls won't close until 10 p.m. CST.

Updates:
6:43 p.m. - 57-40 Clinton, 40% reporting
6:50 p.m. - 58-39 Clinton, 43% reporting
6:58 p.m. - 58-38 Clinton, 51% reporting
7:02 p.m. - 59-37 Clinton, 53% reporting

kentucky elects democratic governor, big cities elect mayors

We focused on Texas elections, but big news was made across the country last night as the nation's faithful voters took to the polls.

The AP and MSNBC tell us that the Republican governor of Kentucky, Ernie Fletcher, lost his re-election bid to a Democrat, Governor-Elect Steve Beshear. Fletcher's first term was marred by scandal.

Beshear cruised to a 20-percentage-point victory in Kentucky after a campaign in which he repeatedly reminded voters of accusations that Fletcher directed the hiring of political allies for jobs protected by the state's merit system.

"Tomorrow begins the time when I call on every person in this state to come together with us, join hands with us, because together, folks, we can make Kentucky a much better place to call home," the 63-year-old Beshear told supporters.

On a different note, Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, a Republican, sailed to re-election victory last night. Barbour defeated his Democratic opponent by twenty points after a campaign that focused on his deemed successful Katrina recovery efforts in the state.

Elsewhere, big cities came out to vote for mayoral races.

Houston re-elected Mayor Bill White. In Baltimore, Sheila Dixon became the first black woman to be elected mayor. Philadelphia chose a new mayor, Michael Nutter, that promised to reduce gun violence. Pittsburgh chose to keep the youngest mayor of a big city in the nation, 27-year-old Democrat Luke Ravenstahl. San Francisco re-elected scandal-plauged Mayor Gavin Newsom, who admitted this year to cheating on his wife and having a drinking problem.