The Primary Season Lull

After all of that primary frenzy in February, lately things have gotten to be a bit like the Sargasso Sea -- real doldrums. The big issue at the moment seems to be whether Barack Obama will disenfranchise the voters of states yet to vote because Patrick Leahy and others are suggesting that Hillary Clinton vacate the race. It's not as if this is all that unusual -- that things get wrapped up before the last states vote. Having voted almost all of my life in places like California and Oregon, this isn't all that unusual. Besides, if Hillary's leaving the race would disenfranchise voters, what about Mike Huckabee, shouldn't he have stayed in to give the GOP voters a choice?
Because everyone front loaded the season we sit in the middle of a six week period of no contests. Pennsylvania lies out front of us. With most of the Pennsylvania leadership, including its governor, backing Hillary (she also claims roots in Scranton, PA) it would be quite a surprise if Obama beat her. But the issue isn't whether she beats him, but by how much. The recent endorsement by popular Democratic Senator, Bob Casey, gives Obama important empowerment, not enough to win perhaps, but maybe enough to trim her sails.
As an Obama supporter, I'd just as soon see him putting together a campaign for the fall, but perhaps this fight, while bruising, could toughen him up for that race. It's unlikely that Clinton can overcome his lead, but the question is -- how long will this take, and how will GOP voters with nothing to vote for influence that process?
So, we wait, perhaps impatiently, for Pennsylvania to have its say. From there we figure out what happens next.

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