Indiana and North Carolina

If either of the candidates (Clinton or Obama) takes both states, it would likely secure the nomination.

At this writing, North Carolina has been declared for Obama and the networks are leaning toward calling Indiana for Clinton.

If they split the states, which we'll know by sunrise (while I am asleep), then it's on to West Virginia, May 13th, and a victory there would still not necessarily net a clear winner. So, then it would be off to Kentucky and Oregon, May 20th.

This is the way the nomination process is supposed to work: candidates (viable or popular or not) stumping in every state to convince the voters throughout the country to vote for them.

I like this election.

Follow-up at 6:45 A.M.

Obama won NC decisively (58%-42%) and Clinton won IN narrowly (51%-49%).

Clinton took a total of 75 delegates. Obama took a total of 91 delegates.

According to NPR this morning, voters in the two states broke-down statistically as follows:

Blacks, younger voters, and voters with a college education voted overwhelmingly for Obama; while white, older working class voters without a college education voted for Clinton.

Obama announced that he needs only 200 more delegates to clinch the nomination; and Clinton announced that the deadlock has been broken. I actually don't know what those remarks mean because I don't know how to count the delegates versus super-delegates while considering whether the Democratic Leadership Committee will sue to have Michigan and Florida delegates seated and counted. If it's simply a matter of counting votes and delegates, then it looks like Obama is poised to take the nomination; but, if the DLC has it decided by a judge (or judges) then it appears that Clinton will take the nomination. I think I prefer the former, not because I prefer Obama, but because I think that is how voting is supposed work (but I can be so old-fashioned about electoral politics).

Congratulations to both candidates, and now it's of to West Virginia (28 delegates), Kentucky (51), Oregon (52), Puerto Rico (55), Montana (16), and South Dakota (15)!

Oh! And in case you were wondering what happened in Guam on May 3rd, Clinton and Obama each received two of the four delegates: they split the Territory 50-50.