If Clinton did not emerge from the bruising six-week campaign with a race-turning landslide – she still trails Mr Obama in the popular vote and the delegate count – her victory nonetheless gives her a strong rationale for continuing her candidacy in spite of those Democrats who would prefer to coalesce around Mr. Obama.
Indeed, in her victory speech in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, Clinton used the words “fight,” “fighter” and “fighting” repeatedly — not only to promise financially struggling Americans that she would protect them, but also to convey that she had the resolve and confidence to stay in the race.

As for Obama, the loss only hardened the determination of his advisers to overwhelm Clinton’s campaign with his substantial financial advantage – he took in 42 million dollars in March to her 21 million – and with the cold calculus that he is still solidly ahead in their pursuit of the 2,025 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination. 

Challenges ahead

Even as she celebrated, Clinton nodded to the stiff challenges ahead for her campaign, not the least of them Obama’s financial advantage.

And she also defiantly acknowledged the Democrats and the pundits who have called on her to end her candidacy.

“Some people counted me out and said to drop out, but the American people don’t quit, and they deserve a president who doesn’t quit either,” Clinton said to fervent cheers and applause at her victory party, where she was joined by former president Bill Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea.

The Indiana primary poses another make-or-break moment for Clinton, according to her advisers, who said they would urge her to quit the race if she lost that state.

“She has to win Pennsylvania and Indiana, pretty much everyone in the campaign agrees on that,” said one senior Clinton adviser. Meanwhile, her daughter Chealsea said Hillary will be a better president than her father.

POLL FUNDS

3 million in kitty overnight
Washington, pti:

Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said her campaign had raked in three million dollars online on the heels of her Pennsylvania primary triumph.

“Since our victory last night we’ve raised three million dollars on the internet,” Clinton told NBC, the morning after chalking up a 10-point victory over rival Barack Obama that kept her White House hopes alive.

Clinton’s camp had hoped her victory would inspire a fresh injection of campaign cash, as she wallows with 10.3 million dollars of debts. Obama has as of April 1 43 million dollars available to fund his battle.