By SPA,
Washington : Democratic Senator Barack Obama (Illinois) appears to have the delegates necessary to clinch his party’s nomination for President, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
AP made the declaration on the basis of tallying votes from so-called super delegates, party members who can vote for any candidate, and pledged delegates, whose votes are determined by primary elections.
Obama needs 2,118 delegates to effectively declare victory over Senator Hillary Clinton (New York). AP said he would secure that figure if he takes just 30 percent of the final primary votes in Montana and South Dakota today, something he is expected to do.
The tipping point appeared to come as super delegates began declaring their support for Obama, effectively ensuring that he will be able to declare himself the first African-American presidential candidate in U.S. history at a rally this evening.
Obama will hold his rally at same site where the Republican Party national convention will be held in Minnesota later this year.
As the news came in, former President Jimmy Carter, a Democratic super delegate, confirmed Tuesday that he would support Obama, and Hillary Clinton reportedly suggested that she would consider seeking to be Obama’s vice-president.