Barack Obama gained a burst of momentum from his landslide victory in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, plus key endorsements from Ted Kennedy and several of his influential relatives.

The Illinois upstart has won the most pledged delegates and total votes so far, but Super Tuesday poses a daunting challenge.

But Obama’s charm may not save him as Hillary Clinton carries the edge in the most populous states. The de facto national February 5 is not the kind of campaign that plays to his strengths.

Obama still trails Clinton in most national polls, and four major states voting - New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut - are in Clinton’s backyard; a fifth, Arkansas, was her home for decades.

Although delegates are awarded proportionately, Hillary leads California, which has 370 delegates at stake, by a double-digit margin.

Continue reading the L.A. Times‘ early assessment of Super Tuesday …