Clinton Ponders Her Moves in 3-D Game of Electoral Chess

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Clinton ponders her move in 3-D game of chess


Published: February 4 2008 02:00 | Last updated: February 4 2008 02:00

In the space of a fortnight, Mrs Clinton's national lead over Mr Obama has been reduced from a 20-point margin to a dead heat, according to the latest opinion polls from Gallup and Reuters. Some show that Mrs Clinton's commanding lead in California - the largest of the 22 states to go to the polls tomorrow - has also been sharply cut, despite her continuing strength among Hispanic voters.
Until recently, the Clinton camp saw February 5 as the day when the process would conclude in their candidate's favour. Now, in the words of one official, it is simply another move in a "three-dimensional game of chess" that could continue for weeks if not months. "We obviously hope to wrap it up sooner rather than later," Mrs Clinton said in a press conference aboard her aircraft. "We will wake up on Wednesday morning and see what we have to do . . . However long it might take, I am going to be there in every state to get the nomination." Obama officials are hoping the race could be decisively tipped their way by another endorsement to match that of the veteran senator Edward Kennedy last week. The most likely would be John Edwards, who dropped out of the race last week. The most prized would be Al Gore, but friends say he is unlikely to declare. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dea1c63a-d2c3-11dc-8636-0000779fd2ac.html