Hotline After Dark -- Define Victory

The 4/22 PA primary dominated TV coverage last night.

Pat Buchanan: "If [Obama] can't beat Hillary Clinton when he's the frontrunner and now outspent her two to one, he can't win Pennsylvania; can he take it away from John McCain? Can he win Michigan and can he win Ohio when he lost that to Hillary Clinton? I think there's some doubts raised in the minds of superdelegates and Democrats everywhere. But I agree with Barack Obama, he's still the frontrunner even if he loses tomorrow" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 4/21).

FNC's Garrett: "It's increasingly clear in Pennsylvania it's not about the victory of Hillary Clinton tomorrow but the magnitude of it. So why would Barack Obama say he can't win here? ... There are some in the Clinton camp who fear he's doing a bit of reverse psychology to depress Clinton turnout, because some voters on
the Clinton side might think this victory is already in the bag" ("Special Report," 4/21).

CNN's Borger: "If it were 7 points, that's kind of the middle muddle we would be in, where each side would be claiming a victory. And the other outcomes are obviously clearer" ("Situation Room," 4/21).

Washington Post's Robinson: "The big wild card in this primary is the 300,000 plus new Democratic voters, newly registered Democratic voters. Will they turn out at the polls? Are they, as most people suspect, mostly young people who have been brought into the party by and energized by Barack Obama. If they come out in big numbers, we could be surprised tomorrow" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 4/21).

Ex-Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA): "In spite of the fact she's being outspent, this state is going to come home for Hillary. And I think it's going to be a 10 point or more win" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 4/21).

In addition to all of the PA predictions, Dem WH '08ers made the TV rounds last night. See the interviews after the jump (KATHERINE LEHR).

"A WIN IS A WIN"

Hillary Clinton was on "LKL."

Clinton, on critics saying she should get out of the race if she wins PA by 5% or less: "A win is a win. But, again, I think this is such a close race. And neither of us has the delegates we need to get the nomination. We've got nine more contests after Pennsylvania. ... We also, don't forget, have to decide how we're going to seat the delegates from Florida and Michigan. 2.3 million people voted. I don't want to disenfranchise either of those states. ... They say that the path to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue goes through Pennsylvania. And if I'm fortunate enough to win tomorrow, that will be yet another state that I have won in, being outspent dramatically by my opponent, and have been able to put together the coalition that is really going to be the base of our campaign against John McCain in the fall."

CNN's L. King: "So what you're saying unequivocally tonight is that you're not prepared to lose at all? You're going right through June, you're going to Denver?"

Clinton: "Well, I'm going until we get Florida and Michigan resolved. I'm going until everybody has had a chance to vote in this process. I'm going until the automatic delegates have made their judgments, based on their independent assessments, as to who of us would be better against John McCain in the fall and who would be the best president for our country" (CNN, 4/21).

Clinton was also on "Countdown":

MSNBC's Olbermann, on Obama saying John McCain would be a better POTUS than Pres. Bush: "You were critical of him for saying that ... by saying, 'We need a nominee who will take on John McCain, not cheer on John McCain, and I will be that nominee.' But, earlier in this campaign ... you had also said that you thought it was -- and, again, this is a direct quote -- 'imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander-in-chief threshold. And I believe that I have done that. Certainly, Senator McCain has done that. And you will have to ask Senator Obama with respect to his candidacy.' To some degree, senator, in those remarks from last month, hadn't you already cheered on Senator McCain, at Senator Obama's expense?"

Clinton: "No, not at all. I think that, obviously, Senator McCain has military experience. He has a long experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee, where I serve with him. And I think most people in this country would look at his experience in the military and in the Senate, and, on national security, say he does cross that threshold. The problem is that he has the wrong ideas. ... I don't think that Senator McCain is the
president or the commander in chief that we will need. And I don't want to in any way say he would be better. It would be hard to be worse than George Bush. ... I think he's more of the same of President Bush. And I don't think the country can afford that."

Asked why she accepted the endorsement of Richard Mellon Scaife's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this weekend: "I was dumbfounded, both to have been invited, and then to have been endorsed. But I do believe in redemption. I believe in deathbed conversions. And I think it's possible for anyone to see the error of their ways. So, I'm bringing people together as we speak. Anyone who doubts my ability to bridge the most incredible chasms can point to those recent events" (MSNBC, 4/21).

MAKE A NEW PLAN, STAN

Barack Obama made an appearance on the "Daily Show."

Jon Stewart: "There's a lot of insinuation amongst the pundits about these controversies. The Reverend Wright controversy, the flag pin controversy. By the way, I am wearing mine. It's just pinned directly to my chest. I can tell you what the real concern is. You can answer this question right here, right now and put it all to bed."

Obama: "Go ahead."

Stewart: "Sir, we are concerned that ultimately at the end of the day, if you are fortunate enough to get the Democratic nomination, fortunate to become President of the United States, will you pull a bait-and-switch, sir, and enslave the white race? Is that your plan? And, if it is your plan, be honest. Tell us now."

Obama: "That is not our plan, Jon, but I think you're paranoia might make you suitable as a debate moderator" (Comedy Central, 4/21).

HOLD THAT THOUGHT...

And NBC's Curry sat down separately with both Clinton and Barack Obama. A preview:

Clinton: "It is like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. You know, I have to do everything Fred does only backwards and in high heels. The most pervasive form of discrimination in the world, no matter what the ethnicity, the race, the religion of the people who live in any society is discrimination against women."

Curry, to Obama: "After outspending Senator Clinton two to one, it appears you will lose in Pennsylvania. So, what does that say about your ability to win in November?"

Obama: "It doesn't say much because the fact is that, you know, my approval ratings here in Pennsylvania among
Democrats are extraordinarily high."

Curry: "Why is it that you have been unable to win these big diverse states with really a motherload of electoral votes?"

Obama: "Now, hold on a second. Now, If anybody thinks that I'll lose New York or California in the general election, there's no chance of that happening. That's just, you know, I think spin on the part of Senator
Clinton's campaign" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 4/21).

The interviews will air in full today on NBC' "Today." See today's Hotline for more.