2008 Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary
{{short description|none}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2008 Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary
| country = Wisconsin
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2004 Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary
| previous_year = 2004
| next_election = 2012 Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary
| next_year = 2012
| election_date = {{Start date|2008|02|19}}
| image1 = Barack Obama Senate portrait crop.jpg
| candidate1 = Barack Obama
| colour1 = 800080
| home_state1 = Illinois
| popular_vote1 = 646,851
| percentage1 = 58.08%
| delegate_count1 = 42
| image2 = Hillary_Rodham_Clinton-cropped.jpg
| candidate2 = Hillary Clinton
| colour2 = D4AA00
| home_state2 = New York
| popular_vote2 = 453,954
| percentage2 = 40.76%
| delegate_count2 = 32
| map_image = 260px
| map_size = 280px
| map_caption = Primary results by county
Obama: {{legend0|#e1bbe1|40–50%}} {{legend0|#cf94cf|50–60%}} {{legend0|#bd6fbd|60–70%}}
Clinton: {{legend0|#fce0b4|40–50%}} {{legend0|#f1c98b|50–60%}}
| outgoing_members = HI
| elected_members = OH
}}
{{ElectionsWI}}
The 2008 Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary took place on February 19, 2008. 74 pledged delegates were at stake. The 2008 Hawaii Democratic presidential caucuses took place the same day.
The Wisconsin primary came after Senator Barack Obama had won the majority of delegates and votes in 8 straight primaries and caucuses; his wins in Wisconsin, and Hawaii extended his winning streak to 10 and reinforced his front-runner status.{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Hirsh |title=Barack Obama: Front Runner|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/113635 |publisher=Newsweek |date=2008-02-19 |access-date=2009-01-19}}
In the days leading up to the primary the Hillary Clinton campaign ran television ads criticizing Obama on healthcare and for not agreeing to more candidate debates.{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Baldwin |title=Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton trade blows as Wisconsin decides |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3399717.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907042005/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3399717.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 7, 2008 |publisher=Times |date=2008-02-20 |access-date=2008-02-20 | location=London}} This caused the Obama campaign to launch a response ad that mentioned the 18 debates already held and 2 more scheduled.{{cite news |date=2008-02-19 |title=Democrats Vote In Wisconsin And Hawaii |url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/democrats-vote-in-wisconsin-and-hawaii/73-343495462 |access-date=2008-01-19 |work=AP |publisher=9 News}} The Clinton campaign also charged Obama using lines in a speech similar to words spoken by Massachusetts Governor and Obama friend Deval Patrick; Patrick responded by saying he and Obama often swap ideas, and that he had willingly shared lines without asking for credit to be given.{{cite news|title=Clinton Fingerprints on Plagiarism Flap |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jyrMRzzhtkEXXcGY9cNmKYSRpVigD8UTNA980 |publisher=Associated Press |date=2008-02-19 |access-date=2008-02-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311140151/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jyrMRzzhtkEXXcGY9cNmKYSRpVigD8UTNA980 |archive-date=March 11, 2008 }} Barack Obama was the winner.{{cite news |title=RESULTS: Wisconsin |url=http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#WI |publisher=CNN |date=2008-02-19 |access-date=2008-02-19}}{{cite news |title=Obama wins Wisconsin primary poll |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7252205.stm |publisher=BBC |date=2008-02-19 |access-date=2008-02-19}}
Polls
{{main|Statewide opinion polling for the February 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries#Wisconsin}}
Polls taken throughout 2007 consistently put Hillary Clinton in the lead, but during February 2008 most polls showed Barack Obama with the advantage.{{cite web |title=2008 Wisconsin Democratic Presidential Primary |url=http://www.pollster.com/08-WI-Dem-Pres-Primary.php |publisher=Pollster |access-date=2008-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511202502/http://www.pollster.com/08-WI-Dem-Pres-Primary.php |archive-date=2008-05-11 |url-status=dead }} A Rasmussen poll taken February 13 reported that almost one-fourth of those polled said there was a good chance they might change their mind. It also found that while Clinton was doing well among women, with a 10-point advantage over Obama, Obama was polling 23 points higher than her among men.{{cite web|url=http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/wisconsin/wisconsin_democratic_presidential_primary |title=Wisconsin Democratic Presidential Primary |publisher=Rasmussen Reports |date=2008-02-13 |access-date=2008-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217120844/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/wisconsin/wisconsin_democratic_presidential_primary |archive-date=2008-02-17 |url-status=dead }}
Results
{{see also|Results of the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries}}
| border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|Key: | align="center" bgcolor=#FFE8E8| Withdrew prior to contest |
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:right;"
! colspan="4" | 2008 Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary{{Cite web |url=http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=13368&locid=47 |title=Wisconsin State Elections Board |access-date=2008-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312192802/http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=13368&locid=47 |archive-date=2008-03-12 |url-status=dead }} |
| style="width: 17em" | Candidate
! style="width: 5em" | Votes ! style="width: 7em" | Percentage ! style="width: 5em" | National delegates[http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/WI-D.html The Green Papers] |
|---|
| align="left" | Barack Obama
| 646,851 | 58.08% | 42 |
| align="left"| Hillary Clinton
| 453,954 | 40.76% | 32 |
| bgcolor=#FFE8E8
| align="left" | John Edwards | 6,693 | 0.60% | 0 |
| bgcolor=#FFE8E8
| align="left" | Dennis Kucinich | 2,625 | 0.24% | 0 |
| bgcolor=#FFE8E8
| align="left" | Joe Biden | 755 | 0.07% | 0 |
| bgcolor=#FFE8E8
| align="left" | Bill Richardson | 528 | 0.05% | 0 |
| align="left" | Mike Gravel
| 517 | 0.05% | 0 |
| bgcolor=#FFE8E8
| align="left" | Christopher Dodd | 501 | 0.04% | 0 |
| align="left" | Uninstructed
| 861 | 0.08% | 0 |
| bgcolor="#EEEEEE" style="margin-right:0.5em"
| Totals |1,113,285 |100% |74 |
Analysis
In the weeks and days leading up to the Wisconsin Democratic Primary, most pundits agreed that it was Hillary Clinton's chance to halt Obama's momentum after winning contests in Washington, Louisiana, Nebraska, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. following Super Tuesday.
Hillary Clinton enjoyed healthy leads among white voters in previous states and hoped that winning Wisconsin or at least the white vote would allow for a victory of sorts. However, CNN Exit Polls showed that Obama won the white vote (which comprised 87% of the electorate on primary day) 54%-45%. Also, other key Clinton constituencies showed Obama making significant strides such as the female vote which split 50%-50%, the 54-65 Age Group which voted for Obama 54%-45%.{{cite news| url = http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/#WIDEM| title = CNN EXIT POLLS}}
After the victory in Wisconsin as well as Caucuses in Washington and a primary in Hawaii held on the same day gave Obama the momentum of winning 10 straight contests.{{cite news |title=Obama extends streak with Wis., Hawaii wins |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23232655 |work=NBC News |date=2008-02-20 |access-date=2009-01-19}} The Pledged delegate standing after the Wisconsin Primary was Obama leading 1154-1011.
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="8" |2008 Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary{{Cite web |title=Election Guide 2008 - Presidential Election - Politics - Results - The New York Times |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/elections/2008/primaries/results/vote-polls/WI.html |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=archive.nytimes.com}} |
| Demographic subgroup
! style="background:#d6b6f9;" |Obama ! style="background:#ffdead;" |Clinton ! % of total vote |
|---|
| Total vote
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |58 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |41 | style="text-align:right;" |100 |
| colspan="4" |Sex |
| Male
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |61 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |35 | style="text-align:right;" |43 |
| Female
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |51 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |49 | style="text-align:right;" |57 |
| colspan="4" |Age |
| 18–64 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |61 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |37 | style="text-align:right;" |72 |
| 65 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2eaf9;" |39 | style="text-align:right; background:#ffdead;" |60 | style="text-align: right;" |28 |
| colspan="4" |Marital status |
| Married
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |53 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |45 | style="text-align:right;" |63 |
| Single
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |58 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |39 | style="text-align:right;" |37 |
| colspan="4" |Family income |
| Less than $50,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |51 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |49 | style="text-align:right;" |41 |
| $50,000 or more
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |59 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |39 | style="text-align:right;" |59 |
| colspan="4" |Religion |
| Protestant/Other Christian
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |57 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |43 | style="text-align:right;" |32 |
| Catholic
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2eaf9;" |49 | style="text-align:right; background:#ffdead;" |51 | style="text-align:right;" |40 |
| None
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |53 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |38 | style="text-align:right;" |11 |
| colspan="4" |Education |
| High school graduate
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2eaf9;" |44 | style="text-align:right; background:#ffdead;" |52 | style="text-align:right;" |25 |
| Some college or associate degree
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |57 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |43 | style="text-align:right;" |31 |
| College graduate
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |59 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |41 | style="text-align:right;" |22 |
| Postgraduate study
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |64 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |32 | style="text-align:right;" |20 |
| colspan="4" |Party affiliation |
| Democrat
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |50 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |49 | style="text-align:right;" |64 |
| Independent / Other
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |63 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |34 | style="text-align:right;" |27 |
| colspan="4" |Political philosophy |
| Liberal
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |56 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |40 | style="text-align:right;" |47 |
| Moderate
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |54 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |46 | style="text-align:right;" |40 |
| Conservative
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |52 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |48 | style="text-align:right;" |13 |
| colspan="4" |Which issue is the most important facing the country? |
| The economy
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |55 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |43 | style="text-align:right;" |43 |
| The war in Iraq
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |57 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |40 | style="text-align:right;" |29 |
| Health care
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |51 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |48 | style="text-align:right;" |25 |
| colspan="4" |Candidate quality that matters most |
| Can bring about needed change
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |77 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |20 | style="text-align:right;" |52 |
| Cares about people like me
| style="text-align:right; background:#d6b6f9;" |53 | style="text-align:right; background:#fff7ec;" |46 | style="text-align:right;" |16 |
| Has the right experience
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2eaf9;" |5 | style="text-align:right; background:#ffdead;" |95 | style="text-align:right;" |24 |