Susan Ferrechio, The Examiner
2008-04-23 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will continue to wrestle for the Democratic nomination at least until the Indiana and North Carolina primaries on May 6, when Obama is expected to win substantially in the last Southern contest and the two appear headed for a tight race in the Hoosier State.

In the meantime, Clinton will have to grapple with the more pressing issue of money. Not only is Clinton being vastly outspent by Obama, her campaign has been running in the red.

In the days leading up to Tuesday’s primary, Clinton operatives emphasized that Obama outspent them nearly three to one in Pennsylvania. The Clinton team was trying to turn a problem into a plus, painting her as an underdog candidate who has what it takes to win tough races in crucial swing states.

In Indiana, Obama’s financial advantage allowed him to start his television advertising weeks ahead of Clinton.

Federal Election Commission records show that Obama had $42 million on hand to spend on Pennsylvania and the remaining nine primaries, compared with Clinton’s $9.3 million.

Clinton also owes $10.3 million to vendors, consultants and others who have served her campaign, and she has yet to repay the $5 million that she loaned her own campaign. By comparison, Obama’s owes only about $663,000.

University of North Carolina political science professor George Rabinowitz said Clinton faces an “uphill climb” in his state. Polls give Obama a double-digit lead that will be tough for Clinton to overcome, given that more than one-third of the electorate are African-Americans who have shown overwhelming support for her rival.

“North Carolina is really sort of written off by most people as an Obama state, so Indiana becomes crucial,” said Indiana University political science professor Lawrence J. Hanks. “Obama has a record of showing he can close the gap if he has time to go around making speeches and pressing more flesh.”

Obama’s ability to spend early and often in Indiana could prove crucial to deciding whether he wins the state, which many, including Obama himself, have characterized as the “tiebreaker” of the Pennsylvania and North Carolina contests. Polls show a virtual tie so far.

Hanks and other political analysts believe Clinton will do well among Indiana’s white, rural voting population in the southern part of the state while Obama will run strongly in the northern urban areas like Fort Wayne, Gary and Indianapolis.

The Obama campaign is also pushing for a victory in Monroe County, the only Democratic area in the southern part of the state, which is home to Indiana University.

Obama staffers are making a major effort to get students to vote early because since classes will have ended before the primary and the campus will be all but abandoned.

sferrechio@dcexaminer.com