Obama expects big day in primaries

Even so, after today's primaries, Obama will be short of the number he needs to lock down the nomination: 2,026, according to the Democratic National Committee. (That number assumes the results in Florida and Michigan are not counted. The states were stripped of their delegates for defying party rules by moving ahead in the primary calendar. Reinstating those delegates is crucial to Clinton's strategy.)

Superdelegates -- elected officials and party insiders who are free to vote for any candidate they choose -- are another part of the equation. As of Monday, Obama had 304.5 superdelegates, compared with 277.5 for Clinton, according to the AP.

Total everything up and Obama is leading Clinton 1,915 to 1,721, a margin of 194.

On the eve of the Kentucky and Oregon contests, Obama was 111 delegates short of clinching the nomination. Even if superdelegates continue to flock to Obama, it is unlikely Obama will close that gap today -- the point the Clinton campaign is stressing.

Obama scooped up five more superdelegates Monday, Clinton none. The most prominent was Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, where Clinton scored an overwhelming victory a week ago. In a statement, Byrd called Clinton and Obama "extraordinary individuals," but added that Obama "is a shining young statesman who possesses the personal temperament and courage necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure in Iraq."

Democratic pollster John Anzalone said Byrd also probably was delivering an assessment that the Democratic race was effectively over. "Robert Byrd can do math just like anyone else can," he said.

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nicholas.riccardi@latimes.com

stuart.silverstein@latimes.com

Riccardi reported from Billings, Crow Agency and Boseman, Mont.; Silverstein reported from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Peter Nicholas and Maeve Reston contributed to this report.