Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 18, 1992 TAG: 9203180331
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Clinton won his first primaries outside the South by lopsided margins, and the nomination now appears his to lose. Because of Democratic rules, however, it still could be months before he has enough convention delegates to assure that he will be the nominee.
"I want to scream and shout and shake your hands tonight," Clinton said at a victory rally in Chicago. "This is a victory for the forces of change, for the people who believe that we can do better. Because we can."
His main rival, Paul Tsongas, vowed to fight on in the Connecticut primary next Tuesday. But he has faded badly in recent weeks and is in danger of being eclipsed by former California Gov. Jerry Brown, who ran well ahead of him in Michigan.
Bush may have effectively ended the Republican nomination contest by crushing conservative challenger Patrick Buchanan in Michigan. The TV pundit is expected to announce today that he is drastically scaling back his campaign.
On the Democratic side, Clinton reaped the benefits of a masterful political organizing effort in Illinois that began even before he announced his candidacy last year.
Clinton campaign advisers have long said Illinois would be the "coup de grace" in the Democratic race. Up to now, however, many Democratic officials have been reluctant to climb aboard the Clinton express, because of doubts about his character and fears that more damaging information could surface.
Tsongas, who finished a weak second in Illinois and an anemic third in Michigan, has failed to extend his appeal beyond upscale, suburban voters. The former Massachusetts senator insisted Tuesday, though, that he was "in this campaign until the convention."
One measure of the breadth of Clinton's triumph was the fact that he defeated Brown among voters from union households in Michigan, according to network exit polls, pulling a clear majority of the union vote. Brown had campaigned hard among organized labor's members in the state.
Clinton had been accused of being anti-union, because Arkansas is a so-called "right to work" state that has promoted itself overseas as a cheap labor market; and because he broke with organized labor over several issues, such as giving the president "fast-track" authority to negotiate a trade agreement with Mexico.
THE WINNERS\ IN TUESDAY'S PRIMARIES\ \ Michigan: (With 75 percent of precincts reporting) Clinton, 46 percent; Brown,\ 28; Tsongas, 18. Bush, 67 percent; Buchanan, 25.\ \ Illinois: (55 percent of precincts) Clinton, 51; Tsongas, 26; Brown, 15. Bush,\ 76; Buchanan, 23.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB