Fact Check: Clinton and the 1992 campaign
by Ann Sanner AP news 7 minutes ago
Hillary Rodham Clinton often says her husband wrapped up the Democratic presidential nomination in June 1992 in defending her decision to press ahead until the last primary votes.
Sixteen years ago, six contests in June did give Bill Clinton the necessary delegates for the nomination, but he had essentially won the nomination in March 1992.
Several Democrats have called on the New York senator to exit the race as she faces diminishing odds of becoming the party's nominee. With only three primaries left, Barack Obama is 48 delegates shy of the 2,026 needed to secure the nomination at the convention. He has 1,978 delegates to her 1,780.
Clinton says it is not unusual for candidates to continue to campaign until June, using Bill Clinton as an example.
THE SPIN:
Responding to a question on Friday from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader editorial board about calls for her to drop out, Clinton said: "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right?"
The former first lady has used the argument before.
In a March interview with Time magazine, she said: "Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn't wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June, also in California. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual."
She also made the claim at a campaign stop in Houston on March 4, the same day as the Texas and Ohio primaries. "My husband didn't get the nomination wrapped up until June (in 1992). That has been the tradition," she said.
THE FACTS
While Bill Clinton did not effectively clinch the nomination until the June 2 primaries in 1992, he had held a commanding lead over his Democratic challenger Jerry Brown since his March 17 wins in Illinois and Michigan.
Clinton's closest rival, Paul Tsongas, left the race two days after Clinton's Midwest victories. Brown stayed in despite trailing Clinton by more than 800 delegates.
Shortly after, Democratic leaders had all but declared Bill Clinton their contender for the fall election. Clinton was so far ahead, that Paul Tully, the Democratic Party political director at the time, told The Associated Press in a March 19, 1992 article: "The fat lady is doing a sound check."
Clinton was just 86 delegates short of the majority coming into the six-state primary finale in June that included California. He surpassed that amount to wrap up a nominating process that started with the Iowa caucus on Feb. 10.
This year's contests began much earlier than previous election years.
Clinton and Obama have been competing since the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3. The nominating contests end June 3 when voters head to the polls in Montana and South Dakota.
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By Ann Sanner.
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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