Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., March 05, 2008 Adar1 28, 5768 | | Israel Time: 16:41 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Voters casting their ballots in Tuesday's Ohio primaries. (Reuters) Last update - 20:18 04/03/2008 Obama and Clinton neck and neck in possibly last U.S. primary By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: U.S. elections, Ohio, Obama  WESTERVILLE, OHIO - About 1.5 percent separate Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the Ohio elections, according to Monday's Zogby poll. A slight margin indeed, but for the first time in these presidential primaries - it was in Obama's favor. In any case, anything could happen on Tuesday as results from Ohio and Texas start flowing in. No one knows how the race for those Ohio votes will turn out, not even the voters themselves. It's a hard one to call considering the fact that opinions are split as to what the voter turnout would be. Mark Blumenthal, a Pollster.com expert, this week analyzed the demographic data for the upcoming Ohio primaries, and found that pollsters believe black people will comprise a slim 12 percent of overall voters while a Cleveland-based newspaper projects those votes to be closer to 22 percent. This difference could be essential in figuring out the identity of Tuesday's winner. Advertisement Not only the black vote matters but also the young vote, and on this issue, too, there are strong disagreements. The higher the turnout of African Americans and youngsters, the higher the chances are for Obama to be named the winner. Either way, Hillary has very little to lose, and has spent the last few days scaring potential voters off voting for Obama. Her sponsored television broadcasts ask "Who would you like to pick up the phone at 3 A.M." when it rings to inform of a serious crisis. The person who came up with the concept for the broadcast created a similar skit 24 years ago, in which he told voters that only Walter Mondale - not the young and charismatic Garry Hart - had the necessary experience to take the call, as a red phone was seen ringing in the background. But Obama took this all in stride, and unleashed his own attack. While Hillary keeps mentioning her experience and reminds voters she is a "fighter" and a "woman of action," Obama mocks her and reminds voters that she did not read security assessments before voting in congress in favor of the war in Iraq. "How much experience do you need" in order to know the importance of reading a military assessment before embarking on a war, he asks. The audience nods in agreement. The Jewish vote Meanwhile, Congressman Weiner promised Jewish Ohio voters Hillary would move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. However, the embassy was dragged into the Ohio debate in more than one way. Former Ambassador Martin Indyk, a long time Clinton supporter, came to convince the potential voters to vote for her, but on Sunday the Obama campaign also threw a former Israel ambassador into the ring: Daniel Kurtzer. Kurtzer gave a speech in the city of Columbus, saying that "the United States has suffered severe blows to our international credibility over the past seven years, which makes it harder to defend our own interests and protect key allies, like Israel". Kurtzer is to become an advisor for the Obama campaign, which makes it easy to imagine his (relatively dovish) views scrutinized in ways he hasn't experienced before. The Hillary camp is trying to sway Jewish voters away from Obama by interpreting his views in unfavorable ways. The next president can not be someone cloaked in "Naive idealism," Indyk told the local Jewish paper last Friday. Congressman Weiner went even further in comparing Obama with a person best avoided in this context: Jimmy Carter. Bookmark to del.icio.us   UN hushes Human Rights Council observes moment of silence for Gaza 'martyrs.' Hitler's sign Document shows that British spies hired a flamboyant astrologer in World War II.   1.   Democrats can be proud of having choice 20:42  |  Ronen 04/03/08   2.   Our cluless Obama nation. 21:00  |  Pssd off American. 04/03/08   3.   "Severe blows to international credebility of the US" 21:04  |  Mark B. 04/03/08   4.   Israel controls US 21:57  |  Harold 04/03/08   5.   #1 Ronen - US trailing Israel on choices 22:03  |  Kate 04/03/08   6.   The same way her husband moved it to J`lm - Bla Bla Bla 23:08  |  Mark 04/03/08   7.   please follow instructions 23:37  |  yakub 04/03/08   8.   Hillary is desperate.. will say ANYTHING 23:51  |  Rami 04/03/08   9.   Clinton + Clark = Best Solution 01:28  |  Isaac 05/03/08   10.   The last straw 04:11  |  ManintheMiddle 05/03/08   11.   #2 Pssd off American 05:40  |  ballistic 05/03/08   12.   #10 you are dead wrong 07:11  |  rasputin 05/03/08

Today Online MI: Iran arming Hezbollah with missiles via Turkey Responses: 138 Leviev: Zionism is bankrupt due to 'new American religion' Responses: 68 Moshe Arens: It was too much to hope for that the IDF would invade Gaza Responses: 38 Rosner: Americans have a favorable view of Israel, especially Republicans Responses: 29 Israeli scientists wonder: Could seaweed power the world? Responses: 23 Rosner's Domain Americans have a favorable view of Israel. Democrats, less so Young American Jews are not alienated from Israel Poll: Should Abbas and Olmert continue their talks? Factor: What's wrong with Obama? Rosner's Mailbox: McCain is a trimmer Sharon More Headlines 16:19 Abbas backs off truce demand, says talks to resume 14:09 Cabinet to IDF: Continue operations to halt rocket fire 14:25 Gilad Shalit's French lawyers to Israeli gov't: Let us go to Gaza 13:59 MK Eitam to Arab MKs: One day we will expel you from Israel 16:41 Jewish teen tortured in Paris suburb where Ilan Halimi was killed 03:42 MI: Iran arming Hezbollah with missiles sent via Turkey 10:52 Clinton scores crucial wins in Texas, Ohio; McCain wins GOP nomination 14:26 Gov't places 120 fortified bus stops in rocket-plagued Sderot 02:23 IDF officers: We faced fierce but unorganized resistance in Gaza 11:04 Leviev: Zionism is bankrupt because of 'new American religion' 12:30 Ahmadinejad suspends talks with EU after UN resolution against Iran 09:17 What's wrong with Obama? Previous Editions Select Day 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb 22 feb 21 feb 20 feb

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