In Nation’s Closest Contest,
Missouri Independents Provide Obama with
Margin of Victory

 by Barbara Woodruff of Missouri's Show Me Independents

Independent voters in Missouri provided Senator Barack Obama his margin of victory yesterday in the most closely contested race in the nation with Obama receiving 49% of the vote to Clinton's 48%. 

With fewer than 10,000 votes separating Obama and Clinton, Obama's substantial lead among independents put him over the top.

Independents comprised 22% of the electorate that participated in Missouri's Democratic primary, according to exit polls.  Obama received the support of 67% of independents to Clinton's 30%.  In raw numbers, it is estimated that over 180,000 independents voted in the Democratic primary contest.  Obama received the support of 120,935 independents as compared with Clinton's 54,150.

Show Me Independents, a state based organization of independents founded by Barbara Woodruff of St. Louis endorsed Senator Obama on February 2, 2008. "The fact is Barack Obama speaks to the Independent’s desire for real change by way of the political reforms needed to break the bonds of paralyzing partisanship and special interest led governing." said Woodruff. "In many ways his commitment matches ours and the independent movement looks forward to bringing about those changes necessary to put our great country back on the right track."

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