Obama and Clinton look to next battle

[ProSense]

Obama and Clinton look to next battle

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) - Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton looked on Sunday toward the next battles in a bruising White House race after Obama rolled to a huge win in a bitterly contested South Carolina primary.

Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black U.S. president, crushed Clinton in the latest showdown in a back-and-forth fight for the right to represent the Democratic Party in November's presidential election.

With heavy support from black voters, Obama doubled Clinton's tally to win 55 percent to 27 percent. John Edwards finished third with 18 percent in a state he won during his failed 2004 race, casting fresh doubt on the future of his campaign.

The win for Obama after two consecutive losses to Clinton, in New Hampshire and Nevada, gave him new momentum heading into February 5 "Super Tuesday" Democratic contests in 22 states. Obama won the first contest in Iowa.

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