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Election 2008 News Blog

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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Obama Clinches Nomination
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After an exhaustive Democratic primary season, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has inched across the line with enough delegates, despite losing some recent primaries to U.S. Sen.Hillary Clinton, to become the Democratic presidential presumptive nominee.

It is history in the making. For the first time an African-American will represent the Democrat party for the highest office in the land.

Sen. Clinton, in complimenting Obama on his well-fought race, said in her Tuesday night speech, "I will make no decisions tonight," refusing to concede her quest for the nomination. Multiple media sources are now saying Clinton may be holding out for the vice-presidential slot.

But Wednesday starts a new day for Obama. Even though he has been positioning his speeches recently against McCain's policies, he must now do it in earnest and in the open. As for McCain, he can now take the gloves off and run directly against Obama, not against an undefined candidate.

Nowhere is the difference between the two candidates more evident than their health care platforms. Sen. McCain is pledging a plan devised to cut costs, and to put many health care choices and decisions into individuals' hands.

Sen. Obama has pledged a platform that mandates health insurance for all children, and plans to offers options to insure all Americans, with government backing if necessary, for what he claims will be universal health care.

Each candidate, no doubt, will say they plan to eventually insure all Americans. Their paths to get there will likely take far different routes.

WebMD's election special, "Health Matters in the 2008 Election," will continue to cover the election until the last vote is cast. Soon, we'll have a new section titled "Reality Check." It will ask questions of non-partisan experts about each candidate's health plans, and how well they align with economic and political reality.

But any way you look at it, it's a historical moment in American politics.

Stay with WebMD for extensive coverage of one of the the most important topics in this election, health care.

We'll keep you posted.

Sean Swint
Executive Editor, WebMD

Posted by: Sean_webmd at 9:33 PM

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