Passing Comments

In the U.S. Democratic Party’s presidential primary race, today could be decisive or… maybe not.

Voters from four states are going to the polls — Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont — in the tug-of-war between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to become the nominee. For a report of the number of pledged delegates at stake, see this article in the Washington Post (”Obama, Clinton In Key Face-Off Texas, Ohio Results May Determine Campaign’s Future”by Anne E. Kornblut and Perry Bacon Jr.,Washington Post Staff Writers, March 4, 2008).

For the WaPo’s breakdown, by state, of delegate numbers, and the current tally for the candidates, you can go here (Primaries and Caucuses/Democratic Party Delegate Tally).

And for any other political junkies out there, who may need some sustenance while waiting (impatiently) for contests results to come in tonight, here are a couple of places to go online for aid and comfort:

The Huffington Post has a good summing-it-all-up article of each candidate’s situation in the respective states as this day of voting opens (”Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Rhode Island Primaries: Hillary Clinton And Barack Obama’s Day Of Reckoning” by Tom Raum, March 4, 2008, courtesy of Associated Press).

And one of the best online blogs to click on to follow the action as it’s updated throughout the day — opinion, analysis of incoming results and predictions — is DailyKos.com. You’ll find vigorously expressed commentary and uncensored comments by supporters of both Obama and Hillary here.

As it appears that the Democratic Party could be headed for its first brokered convention since 1952 (see here), news headlines about the key role of the party’s Super Delegates are mushrooming. Why? It could be they, rather than primary voters, who decide whether Obama or Hillary becomes the party’s nominee.

One of the best articles I spotted this morning about this is Primary Colors Revealed: Delegate Soup and American Politics by Rob Creekmore (Feb 4, 2008) on themsj.com. It’s a concise description of what Super Delegates are, how they came to be, and how they can disenfranchise voters.

The article begins with a punch to the solar plexus:

“Barack Obama. Winner of 34 primary delegates to Hillary’s 21. Champion of 63 caucus delegates over Hillary’s 47. Still losing to Hillary. So what’s behind the fuzzy math that the Associated Press is using to claim that Hillary is in the lead? They’re called Super Delegates, they’re not bound by primary or caucus elections, and they will account for a full 20% of the vote at the upcoming DNC convention.”

For a statement today by Barack Obama himself on the Super Delegate issue, go to The Huffington Post here.