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Posted: February 19, 2008 2:54 PM
Clinton Spars with Obama in WI, Downplays Badger State Results
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Illinois Sen. Barack Obama headed into Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary with only a slim lead over Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton with polls showing him with 46 percent support to her 42 percent.

The Badger State’s 74 delegates — plus another 20 at stake in Hawaii — could make a significant difference in the tense Democratic race. Obama currently holds a 62-delegate lead over his rival, according to the Associated Press tally.

Over the past few days, the Clinton campaign launched several attacks on Obama while downplaying her appeal in Wisconsin. Following Obama’s sweep of Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia last week, the Clinton campaign released ads in Wisconsin chastising Obama’s refusal to debate in the state. The Obama team struck back, calling Clinton out on her health care and housing plans.

Earlier this week, the two candidates dug even deeper. Clinton criticized Obama for representing more style than substance, and he responded with a speech that reused the words of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

“If your whole candidacy is about words, those words should be your own,” Clinton said Monday, according to the AP.

“She has not commented directly on the plagiarism assertion earlier in the day, but characterized Obama as all talk with little action and said voters have a choice between ‘speeches or solutions,’” the AP reported.

As for his involvement in the squabble, in a “Good Morning America interview, Patrick said he was “neither surprised nor troubled” by Obama’s use of his words.

Outside of their attacks on each other, both teams face a tough race in Wisconsin. Although Obama has enjoyed eight straight wins since Super Tuesday, Wisconsin’s demographics could lead to a Clinton victory.

Even Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe admitted that Clinton’s campaign presented challenging strengths in the state and “described Wisconsin as a strong blue-collar and rural state with a fairly small African-American community,” CBS News reported. “Combine that with the fact that Wisconsin is a primary and Plouffe says it’s a perfect combination for a Clinton win, according to her campaign’s rationale.”

Still, the Clinton campaign has given little weight to the state’s results. The New York senator spent some time in the past few days campaigning in Wisconsin but also focused on major upcoming contests in Texas and Ohio.

Clinton spent Tuesday in Cleveland, while Obama spoke to supporters in Youngstown, Ohio. Clinton’s daughter Chelsea made appearances at the University of Wisconsin and other areas throughout Madison.

“The Clinton campaign has downplayed a win in Wisconsin for weeks, but they know a win there would be an enormous boost, especially after losing the last eight primaries to Obama,” CBS News reported. “Clinton campaign senior spokesman Mo Elleithee said ‘Our goal is to do as well as we can and pick up as many delegates as possible.’”