Hyper drive

 

Photo by Mark Humphrey/AP

From early this morning, the network and cable news shows have blanketed the country and the airwaves with coverage of every imaginable sort surrounding today’s historic election. The air is charged, and it literally feels not only like Election Day itself (as if it all came down to today), but an altogether new and energized one from recent history.

Finally, it’s Super Tuesday, and the prevailing question is posed by our friends the Brits, over at the Economist: Super for whom?

NOTHING like it has been seen before in American electoral history. In 22 states across America, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will duke it out on Tuesday February 5th on what has variously been called Super Tuesday, Super-Duper Tuesday and Tsunami Tuesday. By the end of the day, more than half the delegates to August’s party convention in Denver will have been awarded. The day carries around twice the weight of past Super Tuesdays, as well as coming far earlier in the nomination cycle. What is still unclear, however, is what will constitute victory, and what defeat.

They have been elastic definitions in all the primaries until now, with a good showing constituting a victory for some, and a finish in third place but ahead of the guy in fourth a victory for others, and on and on.

Today is different. It may not decide the Democratic nominee, and probably won’t. It will be a good showing for Sen. Obama, and Sen. Clinton is no doubt worrying a lot. Sen. McCain may be the runaway candidate by day’s end, but third place candidate Gov. Huckabee was just reported to have said he’s in it for the duration, or at least until they toss him out.

One thing can be predicted with some accuracty now:

With a large number of postal votes that won’t be counted for many days, the results may not be known this week. Probably the most likely eventual outcome is an unclear result followed by a war of words, and a continuing cliff-hanger. That’s good news for political junkies at least.