Economy, health care, push Pennsylvania voters to polls (1st Lead)

Apr 22, 2008, 13:44 GMT

Illinois Senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama arrives to speak at a town hall style event at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania on 21 April 2008. EPA/JEFF ZELEVANSKY

Hershey, Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania voters turned out in droves Tuesday morning with the economy and health care on their minds and the fate of Hillary Clinton's presidential ambitions in their hands.

After six weeks of contentious bidding for the state's large delegate prize, Senator Clinton, 60, was hoping for a strong win against Democratic Party rival, Senator Barack Obama, 46.

Anything less could put her under renewed pressure to quit the race in the interests of party unity.

'Sometimes we've got to go through pain to gain, and if it's for the right person to be the nominee, it's absolutely necessary,' said Suzanne Brinser, 40, a Hillary supporter, after casting her vote in the central Pennsylvania region around Hershey.

At a polling station near this fabled chocolate-factory town, the uppermost issues for voters were health care and the economy, and they cited the daily jumps in the price of petrol.

Pennsylvania's economy - which ranges from heavy industry to gentle farmland and mines - has dropped into negative growth figures as the rest of the country limps barely in the positive zone.

Those worries, particularly among the eastern state's large number of blue-collar workers, and Clinton's family ties to the state were expected to give her the edge over Obama.

'If it's gas or a candy bar, what would you do?' said one 57-year- old Hershey employee who works in product development. He didn't want his name used, nor would he say whom he voted for.

But he clearly believed Hershey was being negatively impacted by the economic downturn.

Other people were wary of Hillary's ties to the Clinton administration.

'I like change. We've had enough of the Clintons,' quipped Antonio Ortenzi, 77, a retired Hershey chocolate factory worker.

Obama leads by about 150 delegates in the race to the Democratic nominating convention in August, where 2,025 delegates are needed to reach majority.

In Pennsylvania, 158 delegates are up for grabs, and Clinton's double-digit edge from some weeks ago has been shaved to 5 per cent by Obama, who has outspent her on advertising more than two-to-one.

Obama's strengths are among the younger voters - many registering for the first time energized by his campaign - and in the urban Philadelphia area.

The intense campaigning in Pennsylvania has inspired an added 500,000 voter registrations, considerably boosting the state's total number to more than 7 million.

Most of the new registrants are Democrats, including about 160,000 who switched from centre-right Republican to the centre-left party, Democratic Party national chair Howard Dean said in broadcast remarks Tuesday.

If Clinton surprises with a strong victory, then she and Obama could face contests in another seven states and two US territories through to June.

And even if she falls short, she has indicated she won't back down - a prospect that party leader Dean found alarming some weeks ago, out of concern the bitter internal battle could work to Republicans' advantage on November 4.

On Tuesday, however, Dean said that 'of course' no one should drop out of the race, and that the heated attention was good for the party.

John McCain wrapped up the centre-right Republican presidential nomination last month and will face the Democratic nominee in the November 4 general elections.