Americans Away From Home

Barack Obama is only 33 pledged delegates away from achieving a majority of delegates, Obama's Campaign Manager David Plouffe announced today.

The math according to Plouffe:

Delegates in North Carolina: 66 Obama, 49 Clinton.
"This represents a net gain of 17 for Obama, and a chance it could be 19," Plouffe said in a phone call with reporters.

Delegates from Indiana: 38 Obama, 34 Clinton.
"Senator Clinton added four delegates"

"Our net is 13 delegates," Plouffe said. "Our pledged delegate lead is 172, the largest it's been in the entire campaign. This is bigger than it was in March and pre-Pennsylvania."

172 delegates overall are needed for the nomination, according to Plouffe, and "there are only 217 pledged delegates left."

"The night of May 20 this will happen, when Obama clinches the majority of delegates," Plouffe predicts.

Obama still led in superdelegate endorsements two to one over Clinton, after the Pennsylvania primary, and despite the controversy over Rev. Wright.

Pointing to the record-breaking turnout last night, Plouffe said, "It bodes well for Democrats in the fall. McCain is losing one quarter of the Republican vote despite being the Republican nominee."

Carole