The aftermath of Super Duper Tuesday

So – the Democrats can’t decide between Obama and Clinton. I can no longer decide between them either – although until recently I’ve been backing Obama and his message of change, a brief scan of his book, ‘The Audacity of Hope’, reveals his belief in unilateral action and that the UN should not have a veto over America’s actions. From the perspective of international relations, an Obama Presidency may not result all that much change in America’s behaviour abroad.

Regardless, Super Tuesday ended with Clinton winning the more delegates, but Obama securing the most states. While the Republicans seem to be heading towards clarity, the Democrats still cannot seem to believe their luck – two electable candidates after years in the political wilderness.

The party needs to be mindful that should competition become too bitter within the party, it will be to the detriment of all Democrats – a divided party will not appeal to voters, and John McCain is the Republican candidate most likely to appeal to independent and undecided voters in a Presidential election.

Once a candidate has been selected, it has been suggested that Clinton or Obama should offer the other the position of running mate. While some may view this as a dream ticket, I believe it is far more likely to be a nightmare ticket. If parts of Middle America are not ready for a Black President, or a Female President, having a running pair of Obama and Clinton could turn out to be electoral suicide – especially against a white male who served in Vietnam.

The primary season now moves onto Obama-friendly states such as Maryland, Washington, and Virginia. Clinton may have to wait until early March before her campaign regains momentum. Attention should not, however, remain just on forthcoming states. The third placed, and recently retired candidate John Edwards is still sitting on 64 delegates – and has yet to indicate when they will be released and allowed to re-select their candidates. It could be these 64 delegates that tip the balance conclusively.