So far, with 91% of the vote in, there have been a whopping 3,200 votes cast. Quite a mandate. The real date to watch is March 3rd. That is the day the Rezko trial starts. There is fire here. Major fire. Go to Rezkowatch.com and read the story. Unless this Obama madness stops, we are heading to a Republican victory in November.

It is delegates that CNN is showing for Maine, not voters. Delegate represent a fraction of the participants. Didn't we have this discussion yesterday, vis a vis, Washington state?

To all the people who criticize Obama for being 'all style no substance' - I can't give you a good argument in a sentence or two - but that's the point, you want something more than just a soundbite. If you still have a glimmer of openness toward Obama, I have a couple videos that I hope will change your mind.

First is Obama at Google - he gives a speech then an in depth Q+A with the geniuses working there. You can't BS these guys(if impatient go to 52:30 - he addresses 'experience'):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=m4yVlPqeZwo

Second is at a church where he speaks in depth about religion and the country. Thoughtful - Even atheists should watch.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid353515028?bctid=416343938

From what I read, it sounded like the Clinton camp was going to retool their campaign pitch away from "experience," since that was not doing well among voters. Maybe she'll become the candidate for "change," which will be funny coming from somebody as insider-Beltway as the Clintons are -- that could work in 1992, but it's 2008, for cry eye! And to be dragged to "change" and then embrace it as your pitch, that's less than convincing, just as her justification for her war vote was. Obama's been for "change" from the get-go, whereas Clinton was trying to ride the "experience" donkey across the finish line, to little avail. It'll be interesting seeing what new pitch Mark Penn will hash out, and whether it'll have any traction.

One good omen: if the "experience" line is failing Clinton so miserably against "change," then hopefully it'll doubly fail McCain in the general election, and help the Democrats sweep out a bunch more Republicans in Congress.

I do agree with DurianJoe that hopefully more liberal candidates will emerge down the road -- certainly if the sea change among Democrats occurs, the grassroots activists versus the Beltway insiders and the DLC, there'll be a chance for liberals to reappear. But that won't happen until the DLC crowd are finally bested within the party.

I've been trying like heck to stay out of the pissing contest that seems to have erupted in this here e-zine between Clintonistas and Obamaniacs, because the only thing that will happen is I'll inevitably end up getting soaked.

That said, could the Clintonistas, so down on Obama's lack of experience and vetting, whatever the hell THAT'S supposed to mean, please answer one question for me?

For the last 20 years, the executive branch of this country has had a member of two families in the top position. Why in the name of Roosevelt should I pull the lever for four more years of our country's version of the Tudors and Stuarts?

Thank you. I'll now sit back down and put up my umbrella.

Your "warmonger" rhetoric works with the far-left loony fringe. The vast middle of this country isn't buying it.

If you believe black voters in the South are going to win Obama any of those states in the general election, I've got some swampland in Florida I'd be eager to sell you at a good price.

@cythera45:

"you are a clown"

Coming from you I take that as a compliment.

You vile warmonger! Gosh, I sure hate warmongers, I really do. Evil damn warmongers.

. . . As in please pardon the sweeping generalizations I'm making in trying to do a little prognostication.

By and large, those voting for Clinton in the primaries strike me as pragmatists: When I do my best to imagine "typical" Clinton voters, I don't see people who will sit out the general election, sulking because Clinton wasn't nominated -- I see people who will make the best of the situation, whether for they're committed democrats supporting Obama (grudgingly, in many cases) or centrists voting for McCain.

As for those voting for Obama in the primaries, they seem a little more, well, "inspired" for lack of a better term, and I imagine things break down a little differently if Obama isn't nominated: Sure, there will be loyal democrats here, too, and "breath of fresh air" independents going to McCain, but I'm sure that many of the young voters caught up in Obamania might just skip the general election.

So, what I'm wondering is, how can we expect the numbers to break down? Even if more voters turn to McCain if Hillary isn't nominated, will this offset the missing youth vote if Obama is the one sitting out? Or are the democrats in a strong enough position where it won't really matter?

I don't have an answer to this. Maybe the way I'm looking at this is oversimplified, but I'm really curious if anyone has a good idea how, proportionally, things might play out.

If you believe black voters in the South are going to win Obama any of those states in the general election, I've got some swampland in Florida I'd be eager to sell you at a good price.

I didn't say that. What I did say, however, is that for too long the black electorate has been a gimme in any Democratic race, be it for House, Governor, Senator, or whatever. And equally as long, white Democratic politicians have presumed they would win their vote in anything above a House seat, because of the scare-tactic that a black candidate cannot rise above that label. And what we've seen here, for once, is that a candidate cannot only maintain a large base within the African American community, but can move outward from it. And that's exactly whats happened here, and is exactly why the African American electorate is going to be a potent force within the Democratic party for years to come onward.

And you forget, that the handful of Democrats in the South, are almost overwhelmingly black. As I've mad a point of before, the majority whip, Jim Clyburn, is from my district in SC. Despite your seemingly crass dismissal, African American's aren't going anywhere in the Democratic party.