Bloody Democratic convention looms as Clinton defeats Obama in Texas and Ohio primaries

Hillary Clinton’s victories in the Ohio and Texas primaries have severely dented Obama’s prospects of securing the Democratic nomination.
Critically for Obama, Clinton won two thirds of the Hispanic vote in Texas. Hispanics made up approximately one third of the Texas Democratic primary electorate. She also won the support of the majority of women and poor voters. Elderly voters backed Clinton strongly.
Men favoured Obama. He also scored strongly among African American voters and young voters.

Because of Clinton’s powerful links with Hispanic voters it was always likely that she would win Texas. Clinton's negative campaigning in recent days on the stump and expertly targeted TV ads damaged Obama by homing in on his lack of experience. In addition there is evidence that Republicans voted in sizeable numbers for Clinton in the belief that she is the weaker of the two.

Reports on statements allegedly made by Obama’s senior economic Austan Goolsbee to Canadian officials- that the Illinois senator's tough talk on NAFTA was just political rhetoric- cost Obama dearly in Ohio. The Clinton campaign took full advantage of the faux pas. Of course it was Bill Clinton who signed NAFTA in 1993 and spoke glowingly about the prospects of developing trade between the US Mexico and Canada. In 1994 he signed the global trade agreement that created the WTO. This has damaged manufacturing in the US and was manna from heaven for the Chinese. Hillary Clinton certainly did not speak out against NAFTA in 1993. She is now cynically manipulating the voters of Ohio and the US as a whole. Of course jobs have been lost in Ohio and throughout the country because of NAFTA. However labour costs, increased mechanisation and competition from China are other major causative factors. Union leaders in the US who seriously believe that Clinton will row back on Free Trade agreements, are whistling a past the dark.

Clinton won Ohio by 54-44 and Texas by 51-47. She has also overtaken Obama in some national polls. However Obama has a slight delegate lead. Obama has c1515 and Clinton has c1424. Obama leads in the popular vote. But Clinton must be favoured to win Pennsylvania. Of course Obama will win North Carolina. It may all come down to the super delegates at the convention. In addition the Michigan/Florida fiasco has not been iron out. It is highly unlikely that only 48 states will choose the Democratic Party nominee. There is now potential for a messy and bloody convention. Just imagine the headlines "Democrats at war". If Obama is deprived of the nomination by super delegates African Americans may leave the Democratic Party in droves. African Americans will have been humiliated.