Hillary Rodham Clinton's hopes of becoming the nation's first female president suffered a significant blow, and her days as the Democrats' national front-runner are over for now after her third-place finish. The New York senator faces a rough slog in coming weeks unless she manages to bounce back Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary, in which she could be an underdog.

A record Democratic caucus turnout - including a large number of younger voters and liberals - responded enthusiastically to Obama's inspirational candidacy and to his call for a new style of politics in Washington. His supporters outnumbered Clinton's older, largely female backers in a generational split that, caucus-night polling showed, heralded the arrival of a new breed of Democratic voter: more independent politically and ready for government to act on problems such as giving affordable health care to millions who lack medical coverage.

Obama now has a realistic chance to become the first African-American nominated by a major party. He appears well-positioned to defeat Clinton in New Hampshire and in the first Southern primary, later this month, in South Carolina, where black voters are a dominant force. Source...