Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have been campaigning tirelessly for the past few weeks in Indiana and North Carolina, where 187 pledged delegates will be up for grabs.
Obama is favored in North Carolina, with a high African-American population in the Raleigh-Durham area. Clinton aides have been downplaying results there. North Carolina does have over 100 delegates, but most eyes will be watching Indiana tomorrow. The polls have reported a tight race in Indiana all along. For Obama, a substantial win in North Carolina and another victory in Indiana could raise the rhetoric of people asking Clinton to step aside for the winner. For Clinton, a victory in Indiana and a single-digit loss in North Carolina could have superdelegates questioning if Sen. Obama can beat John McCain in the fall if he has had several chances to deliver the knockout blow.
The fact of the matter is that Obama has been leading in every measurable statistic with the exception of superdelegates, a contest he has cut to 14 in recent weeks. He leads in pledged delegates, popular vote, and the number of states won. If the roles were reversed, Clinton would already be the nominee. It's because the front-runner is an African-American and the challenger is Caucasian that this race has gone on for so long.
Sen. Obama is just 273 delegates away from the nomination. Although delegates in the Democratic party are awarded proportionally, two wins tomorrow night would provide a huge psychological boost for Obama. He won't get to the magic number of 2,024 needed to clinch the nomination. However, a win could encourage the all-important superdelegates to line up behind their front-runner with polls showing Senator John McCain having a legitimate shot to win the White House in 2008 and polls also showing voters are growing more distasteful of both Clinton and Obama.
The most recent issue the candidates have brought up to use their differences for political advantages is the gas tax. Clinton has proposed a three-month suspension of the gas tax. Disregarding the fact that the gas tax will not be suspended this summer (George W. Bush has to sign off on it) and Congress will have to approve of such a thing, most economists say that this is a bad idea. Obama has called it a classic Washington gimmick that refuses the address the long-term issue of the energy crisis this nation is facing with dependence of foreign oil. If we want to lower the gas prices, then invest in alternate energy sources.
Many political pundits have predicted this race could go on until June or possibly longer. Believe it or not, a seismic change could be made tomorrow if Obama comes away with two victories. The media doesn't want this to be over, which is why they keep on hyping and sensationalizing what is really going on. Stay tuned.
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