brad12jy

Hillary Clinton has won a fiercely contested election in the US state of Nevada, according to projections based on 88% of the vote count.
Preliminary figures show Mrs Clinton with 51% of the vote, to 45% for Barack Obama. Both candidates have fought hard to win the support of Latino voters.

US TV networks project a big win in the state for Republican Mitt Romney.

The party's contest in Nevada has been overshadowed by a closely-fought primary being held in South Carolina.

Voting continues in the first southern state to hold a primary, where Republicans John McCain and Mike Huckabee, who appear to be the frontrunners in a very tight race, have focused their efforts.

But a win in Nevada for Mr Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, could give him a useful boost going into the next primary vote in Florida.

As a Republican, I stand before you embarrassed - embarrassed that we let that spending get out of control

Senator John McCain


Nevada's Latino vote
Poll guide - S Carolina
Poll guide - Nevada
Early returns suggest he may have captured more than 40% of Nevada's vote, with rivals John McCain, Ron Paul, Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee clustered far behind.

Analysts say Mr Romney, a Mormon, may have benefited from the support of the nearly 7% of Nevada voters who share his faith.

Mormons represented roughly a quarter of those attending the state's Republican caucuses, and virtually all of them were voting for Romney, according to preliminary results reported by the Associated Press news agency.

Meanwhile in South Carolina, pre-vote polls suggested Mr McCain - who lost the state to George W Bush in 2000 - may hold a narrow lead there.

His main rival appears to be Mr Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, who is hoping for the support of South Carolina's evangelical Christians.

The result is being keenly watched because the Republican winner in South Carolina has gone on to become the party's nominee in every presidential election since 1980.

Hispanic vote

In Nevada, Mrs Clinton has had backing from influential politicians in the state's Hispanic community, which makes up about 25% of the population, while Mr Obama has the support of a powerful local union organisation.


Voters in Nevada give their views ahead of caucuses to choose a presidential candidate


In pictures


Many of their target voters work in the casinos and resorts of Las Vegas and for the first time, nine casinos held Democratic caucuses to try to make it easier for workers to vote.

The BBC's Lourdes Heredia, at a caucus in the Luxor casino in Las Vegas, said the atmosphere was like that of a football match.

Supporters of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards were grouped on different sides of the room, exchanging loud cheers and shouts, waiting to be counted.

The candidates' support is calculated according to how many people gather in each corner.

The Obama campaign had handed out red T-shirts saying "Make the Vegas dream the American dream", our correspondent said.

Mrs Clinton's supporters all wore white T-shirts saying "I support my union, I support Hillary" - a reference to a row over union support in the run-up to the vote.

Maribel Fuarez told the BBC: "I have always supported Hillary because she's a woman and it's time we had a woman president.

"I feel Bill Clinton was a good leader for the Latino community and even though my union supports Obama, I haven't changed my mind. My vote is my vote and I'm proud of it."

'Embarrassed'

In Nevada's Republican caucuses only Mr Romney had done any serious campaigning, with the other front-runners instead preferring to focus on South Carolina.


Candidate wins nomination by accumulating 2,025 delegates
Most are "pledged delegates", won at primaries or caucuses
25 delegates at stake in Nevada
Delegates vote at summer convention to confirm nominee


In pictures: S Carolina and Nevada votes
Like their Democratic counterparts in Nevada, the Republican presidential hopefuls have focused on the economy in their final campaigning in South Carolina, which is losing many manufacturing jobs.

Mr McCain, who won in New Hampshire, partly blamed his party for America's woes, saying to voters: "As a Republican, I stand before you embarrassed. Embarrassed that we let that spending get out of control."

The other main contenders in South Carolina appear to be the other two men who have already won a primary - Mr Huckabee and Mr Romney.

Correspondents say Mr Huckabee is hoping for the support of the 53% of registered Republicans, who describe themselves as white evangelical Christians - a group that was instrumental in his victory in the Iowa caucuses last month.


Candidate wins nomination by accumulating 1,191 delegates
Most are "pledged delegates", won at primaries or caucuses
34 delegates at stake in Nevada and 24 in South Carolina
Delegates vote at summer convention to confirm nominee

However, Mr Huckabee has been under fire for remarks apparently equating same-sex marriage with bestiality.

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, who has been focusing heavily on South Carolina, is trailing Mr Romney in fourth place in the opinion polls.

Observers say Mr Thompson needs a good result in the state to have a chance of remaining a viable contender for the Republican nomination.

The former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, has virtually ignored the early races to concentrate on the bigger prize of Florida at the end of the month. The Democrats will hold their primary in South Carolina on 26 January.

The ballots precede Super Tuesday, when 22 states will hold polls on 5 February.

__________________
My ignore list - Tony Bennett

Independent UKIP

At time of writing he (Romney) is at 52% with 79% reporting according to CNN. And the media's no hoper candidate Ron Paul is in 2nd place! A handful of votes ahead of the media's new favourite John McCain and I think so far ahead of Huckabee & Thompson that he cannot be anything other than 2nd or 3rd in Nevada. If he can stay in 2nd place that will be quite a boost for Paul in my opinion. And 3rd place will hardly be considered a bad performance.

Britannist

There is more on this at:

The Canadian Press: Clinton, Romney win morale boosts in Nevada presidential nomination races

Britannist

Brief edited extracts from the article on the link in the last posting to this thread (regarding the Republican Party):

(Quote from the Canadian Press) Mormons comprised about 20% of all voters, another advantage for Romney who is trying to become the first person of his faith to sit in the Oval Office. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani isn't a factor there. He's been eyeing Florida, the first of the big states to vote, with a winner-take-all primary on Jan. 29 that represents the next big battleground. (End of quote from the Canadian Press)

TannyD

[quote]I think you will find Hillary Clinton is a Bilderberger-they want to run a one-world government so, no,we do not want her as the US President.
Carole, Plymouth sourced from ITV TeletextQUOTE]

Is it true what she is saying?

Mikeuk

I see that raddled old soak Teddy Kennedy is ostentatiously supporting Obama.

I wonder if he will offer him a lift?

Britannist

The support of Kennedy will make it more likely that Obama fails to win the Democrat Party nomination.

I also sense that the Democrat Party are deeply divided at this time and some Democrat members/supporters who presently support Obama or Edwards may not vote for Billary Clinton if/when she runs for the American Presidency.

rjt

I would not want the support of that apoligist for the IRA.

__________________
Mr Delors said that he wanted the European Parliament to be the democratic body of the community, The Commission to be The Executive and The Council Of Ministers The Senate. NO! NO! NO!
(Margaret Thatcher 30 Oct 1990)

Ignore List: The Prophets of ST Al the Unelectable.

g hall

I'm sure he could buy Illinois for Obama though

One though why do they call Barack Black when his mother is/was as white as I am ?

__________________
"That government is best which governs least."
"This is a sharp Medicine, but it is a Physician for all diseases and miseries".
"To be "matter of fact" about the world is to blunder into fantasy --and dull fantasy at that, as the real world is strange and wonderful."

rjt

Possibly but i would not go for a car ride with him.

__________________
Mr Delors said that he wanted the European Parliament to be the democratic body of the community, The Commission to be The Executive and The Council Of Ministers The Senate. NO! NO! NO!
(Margaret Thatcher 30 Oct 1990)

Ignore List: The Prophets of ST Al the Unelectable.