By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton won a landslidevictory over front-runner Barack Obama in West Virginia andvowed to keep her beleaguered White House bid alive untilvoting ends in the Democratic race.
Clinton hoped her crushing defeat of Obama on Tuesday wouldslow his march to the Democratic nomination and bolster hercase that she is the Democrat with the best chance to beatRepublican John McCain in November's election.
Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, retainsa nearly unassailable advantage in delegates who will selectthe nominee at the party convention in August. West Virginiahad only 28 delegates at stake.
"This race isn't over yet. Neither of us has the totaldelegates it takes to win," the New York senator and formerfirst lady told a victory celebration in Charleston, WestVirginia.
"I am more determined than ever to carry on this campaignuntil everyone has had a chance to make their voices heard,"she said, looking ahead to the final five nominating conteststhat conclude on June 3.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting in WestVirginia, 67 percent of voters supported Clinton while 26percent backed Obama.
Obama made only one brief campaign stop in West Virginiabefore the contest and stayed far away, when he visited thegeneral election battleground of Missouri and looked ahead to aNovember match-up with McCain.
"A vote for John McCain is a vote for George Bush's thirdterm," Obama said in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. "We cannotafford any more of the Bush-McCain program."
Obama did not appear in public after the voting ended inWest Virginia, but a campaign spokeswoman said he left Clintona congratulatory message on her mobile phone. He is scheduledto make stops in the general election battleground states ofMichigan on Wednesday and in Florida next week.
RACE A FACTOR
Exit polls in West Virginia showed two of every 10 whitevoters said race was a factor in their decision, and only athird of those said they would support Obama against McCain.Obama gained more than a quarter of the white vote in WestVirginia, which has a small black population.
Less than an hour after the polls closed, Clinton, whosecampaign is at least $20 million (10.3 million pounds) in debt,sent supporters text messages and e-mails, urging them todonate money to her campaign, according to The New York Times.She said her strength in big states like Ohio and Pennsylvaniathat are critical in a presidential election made her the bestcandidate against McCain.
She made a direct appeal to the remaining Democratic votersand superdelegates -- party officials who can back anycandidate and will help decide the nominee.
"I'm asking people to think hard about where we are in thiselection, about how we will win in November," she said. "I amin this race because I believe I am the strongest candidate."
A delegate count by MSNBC gives Obama 1,880 delegates toClinton's 1,718 with six more delegates to be awarded in WestVirginia. That leaves him 145 short of the 2,025 needed toclinch the nomination.
Neither candidate can win without help from superdelegates-- nearly 800 party officials who are free to back anycandidate. Obama has been gaining ground among superdelegatesfor weeks and picked up four more on Tuesday.
"Barack Obama leads in pledged delegates, contests won andsuperdelegates. And for perspective, while 28 pledged delegatesare up for grabs this evening, Obama has won the support of 27superdelegates in the course of just the last week," an Obamacampaign memo said.
According to the Times, Clinton loyalist James Carville nowbelieves Obama will likely be the Democratic nominee.
In a speech at a South Carolina university, Carville said,"I think it's likely Obama is the nominee, but not certain. ...I would have preferred another result, but I'm going to be forhim."
The newspaper quoted the outspoken strategist as saying,"Everybody is going to be with Obama," referring to Clinton'sstaff and backers. "I have an undated check written out forObama. I'll send it when this is over."
Five more contests remain in the Democratic nominatingbattle, with a combined 189 delegates at stake. Oregon andKentucky vote on May 20, Puerto Rico votes on June 1 andMontana and South Dakota vote on June 3.
Clinton is favoured again next week in Kentucky and Obamais favoured in Oregon.
(Additional reporting by Deborah Charles, Jeff Mason, RickCowan and Andy Sullivan; Editing by Chris Wilson)
(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visitReuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online athttp:/blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
