2008 Woodie Awards
Super Tuesday not so decisive
by Andy House
Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: Opinion
Well, the famed Super Tuesday primaries have come and gone, and we still don't have nominees for president on either side of the spectrum. The only absolute development to come out of the biggest day of primary season is the suspension of Governor Mitt Romney's campaign for the GOP nomination. What was once a two-man race with Romney chasing the leader of the Republican pack Senator John McCain, has become a two-man race with Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.
With Governor Huckabee's stunning success on Super Tuesday, sweeping through the South winning Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia and his home state of Arkansas, he's riding an unexpected wave of momentum. With only around half of the necessary delegates to be nominated currently allocated to Senator McCain, Governor Huckabee may still have an outside chance at victory.
On the other side, the Democrats came into Super Tuesday with the opportunity to finally set a clear favorite, but it didn't happen. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York were neck and neck. Clinton held only a slight lead in delegates; this race has no signs of ending soon. The two senators have been trying to gain an upper-hand on each other. The National Democratic Party seems eager to have a united party behind one candidate to focus on the general election in November, but that simply hasn't happened. Obama showed his strength with voters in the South, except for Arkansas where Clinton was formerly the First Lady, and the Midwest. Clinton performed best in the Northeast and in California and Arizona. But each candidate poached from the other's strong points; Obama stole Connecticut while Clinton swept Oklahoma. The Democratic race looks to be shaping up as one of the closest races for a nomination in recent history. It's appropriate considering that no matter who is nominated, he or she will be making history as either the first African-American or first woman ever to be nominated for president.
With Governor Huckabee's stunning success on Super Tuesday, sweeping through the South winning Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia and his home state of Arkansas, he's riding an unexpected wave of momentum. With only around half of the necessary delegates to be nominated currently allocated to Senator McCain, Governor Huckabee may still have an outside chance at victory.
On the other side, the Democrats came into Super Tuesday with the opportunity to finally set a clear favorite, but it didn't happen. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York were neck and neck. Clinton held only a slight lead in delegates; this race has no signs of ending soon. The two senators have been trying to gain an upper-hand on each other. The National Democratic Party seems eager to have a united party behind one candidate to focus on the general election in November, but that simply hasn't happened. Obama showed his strength with voters in the South, except for Arkansas where Clinton was formerly the First Lady, and the Midwest. Clinton performed best in the Northeast and in California and Arizona. But each candidate poached from the other's strong points; Obama stole Connecticut while Clinton swept Oklahoma. The Democratic race looks to be shaping up as one of the closest races for a nomination in recent history. It's appropriate considering that no matter who is nominated, he or she will be making history as either the first African-American or first woman ever to be nominated for president.
Be the first to comment on this story