Eternal Search for Hope into Spring
By Shawn Healy
Sen. Barack Obama's convincing sweep of four state caucuses this past weekend clearly places him on the side of momentum, and he is poised to run the table again tomorrow during the Potomac State primary. Sen. Hillary Clinton saw the writing on the wall and fired her campaign manager as she looks to regain her footing for the WI primary on Feb. 19 and the contests in OH and TX (also RI and VT) on Mar. 4. Obama actually has more delegates assigned as a product of ballots cast, but Clinton retains a narrow overall lead on the backs of pledged superdelegates.
According to an internal memo leaked by the Obama campaign, we should expect a continuation of this protracted battle on the Democratic side as they expect neither candidate will capture the requisite number of delegates to clinch the nomination outright after the conclusion of state contests in early June. This sets up the prospect of a) the superdelegates picking the nominee; b) a lawsuit to seat the delegates from MI and FL, which would throw the nomination to Clinton; or c) an old-fashioned floor fight at the Democratic National Convention in late Aug. The reality is that even letter "d," all of the above, is an option, as is "e," none of the above, where one candidate rides the wave of momentum to seal the deal, perhaps by Apr. 22, the day of the PA primary.
The Republican race is easier to decipher, although too early to call just yet for frontrunner Sen. John McCain. Indeed, former Gov. Mike Huckabee has vowed to continue the fight until McCain clinches the nomination outright. Short of a miracle, Huckabee has no chance to claim the mantle as his own, but he could deny McCain the crown. His hopes are buoyed by a blow-out victory in the KS caucuses on Sat., not to mention a narrow win in LA and a disputed defeat in the WA caucuses.
However, look for McCain to clean up tomorrow in the Potomac primary, followed by a decisive win in the Badger State next Tuesday. The Mar. 4 primaries in OH and TX could all-but wrap up the nomination, although the Lone Star State is a place where Huckabee should find more even footing. The former AR governor appears to be a regional candidate, and as I said last Wednesday, he boasts strong appeal in the South and in states with substantial evangelical populations.
In the spirit of the Freedom Museum's ongoing coverage of the 2008 campaign, we are hosting David Boaz tomorrow for a book lecture. He will present the soon-to-be-released title, "The Politics of Freedom: Taking on the Left, the Right, and Threats to Civil Liberties" at 6pm. Unfortunately, if you have yet to RSVP, the event is booked to capacity, but thankfully Five Freedoms Intern Winne Monu will be there to report and provide a full summary of the evening's events on Wednesday morning.
According to an internal memo leaked by the Obama campaign, we should expect a continuation of this protracted battle on the Democratic side as they expect neither candidate will capture the requisite number of delegates to clinch the nomination outright after the conclusion of state contests in early June. This sets up the prospect of a) the superdelegates picking the nominee; b) a lawsuit to seat the delegates from MI and FL, which would throw the nomination to Clinton; or c) an old-fashioned floor fight at the Democratic National Convention in late Aug. The reality is that even letter "d," all of the above, is an option, as is "e," none of the above, where one candidate rides the wave of momentum to seal the deal, perhaps by Apr. 22, the day of the PA primary.
The Republican race is easier to decipher, although too early to call just yet for frontrunner Sen. John McCain. Indeed, former Gov. Mike Huckabee has vowed to continue the fight until McCain clinches the nomination outright. Short of a miracle, Huckabee has no chance to claim the mantle as his own, but he could deny McCain the crown. His hopes are buoyed by a blow-out victory in the KS caucuses on Sat., not to mention a narrow win in LA and a disputed defeat in the WA caucuses.
However, look for McCain to clean up tomorrow in the Potomac primary, followed by a decisive win in the Badger State next Tuesday. The Mar. 4 primaries in OH and TX could all-but wrap up the nomination, although the Lone Star State is a place where Huckabee should find more even footing. The former AR governor appears to be a regional candidate, and as I said last Wednesday, he boasts strong appeal in the South and in states with substantial evangelical populations.
In the spirit of the Freedom Museum's ongoing coverage of the 2008 campaign, we are hosting David Boaz tomorrow for a book lecture. He will present the soon-to-be-released title, "The Politics of Freedom: Taking on the Left, the Right, and Threats to Civil Liberties" at 6pm. Unfortunately, if you have yet to RSVP, the event is booked to capacity, but thankfully Five Freedoms Intern Winne Monu will be there to report and provide a full summary of the evening's events on Wednesday morning.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home