What They're Saying About Obama's Loss in Another Swing State

"A strong Clinton victory in another general election battleground state like her victories in Ohio and Pennsylvania could raise fresh questions about Mr. Obama's ability to carry swing states in a contest against Senator John McCain." (Healy, NYT, 05/14/08)
 
"One week after the press essentially declared him the nominee, two-thirds of Democratic voters in a swing state said thanks, but no thanks. It may matter approximately not at all in determining the nomination -- but as Obama looks toward the general, these are warning signs he can't hope away." (Klein, ABC's Note, 5/14/08)
 
"Obama's campaign has said in the past that he has a greater ability than Clinton to expand the electoral map in November. But the results in West Virginia, coupled with exit polls that showed Democratic primary voters there with significant reservations about him, suggest that he could have a difficult time winning the Mountain State in the fall." (Balz, WP, 5/14/08)
 
"In a stark rejection of Obama in a state Bill Clinton carried in 1992 and 1996, almost half of the Democratic primary voters - typically the most partisan Democrats in a state - said they'd vote for Republican John McCain rather than Obama in November. ... But with Obama remaining as the likely nominee, the results highlighted the question of exactly how he will beat McCain in November, a question his campaign did not directly address in a memo released a few hours before polls closed." (Smith, Politico, 5/13/08)
 
"But maybe the Obama camp should be more worried. The voters who went against Obama Tuesday night ... don't just live in West Virginia. They live everywhere in the country, in places Obama needs to win." (Pickler, AP, 5/14/08)