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With a string of decisive victories, the Obama campaign is steamrolling Team Hillary into oblivion. In the latest round of one sided bruising, Obama won more votes in every demographic except for White women, who still supported Hillary decisively. The Clinton campaign, which recently lost its manager, has yet to present a cohesive strategy to counter the overwhelming momentum of the Obama machine. The only thing that resembles a plan coming from the Clinton camp is to passively wait and hope that Texas will come through and save whatever tattered remains are left of Hillary's chances. However, March 4th is quite a long ways away, and particularly in a race as close as this, and with Obama's campaign rapidly gaining momentum as each day passes, it is quite likely that even Texas will go Obama's way. So I think it's safe for me to declare now that the general election will essentially be a battle between Obama and McCain. With the choice of running mates not yet determined, and based solely on the characteristics of both candidates, Obama possesses several advantages against McCain that may lead to a decisive victory. First, McCain has many enemies, Obama does not. This is important because it sets the tone of the campaign. Would voters want another president that is divisive and controversial? Or would they prefer starting anew with a president who seems to unite Americans of all backgrounds? Second, Obama has greater appeal than McCain. A large portion of the Conservative base distrust McCain's liberal leanings. Therefore, many Republicans are not passionate about the prospects of McCain as their nominee. In contrast, Obama enjoys a great deal of support within the Democratic base. In addition, while he is loved by Liberals, he is respected by Conservatives. Essentially, all of those who support Hillary will support Obama, at the same time, Obama is very popular with Independent voters, and Obama stands a good chance in attracting a significant number of crossover Republican voters as well. Third, unlike McCain or Hillary, Obama does not carry the baggage of the Iraq war. The occupation of Iraq has proven to be an unpopular issue with voters in this election, and most of them are increasingly convinced that the entire invasion and occupation was a great mistake. Obama represents a consistent voice in opposition to the rationale for the war, and this will appeal to voters who are concerned about the issue. McCain, in contrast, has made comments supporting a 100 year war, and certainly this phrase will come back to haunt him during the general election. The major advantage that McCain has over Obama is the possibility that Obama may appear as a foreign policy novice next to the warhawk views of McCain. In addition, Obama's Muslim sounding name and anti-war stance may elicit suspicions regarding his ability to protect and defend the United States from foreign threats. There also exists the possibility that race may play an issue in the general election, though it's still not clear how big of an impact that may have or if it will have an impact at all. Most voters who would be prejudiced against Obama's campaign are likely to not vote for a Liberal Democrat in the first place, so this factor may not impact the Obama campaign at all. It is still too early to predict who will be the next president of the United States. But if I were a betting man, I would bet that we will see our first Black president in November. Regardless, this has been a historic election and the most exciting one since time immemorable. Let's all sit back and enjoy the action.
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