Today the Democrats of Indiana and North Carolina will cast their
votes for their party’s candidate this fall. While most expect Obama to
take N.C., and Hillary to narrowly take Indiana, there have been too
many surprises along the way to count one’s chicks yet. If Obama
manages to win both states, the race would effectively be over. A
decisive victory in Indiana for Hillary would go a long way towards
showing the super delegates she is the stronger representative in the
national election.
Obama
clearly has the momentum, the money, the media idolatry, and most
importantly the charisma. Imagining an Obama victory, and its impact on
the Democratic Party is easy. The money will continue pile up as people
get caught up in the historic feel to his campaign. Obama will roll off
a string of stirring speeches and embark on a series of sit-down
interviews to open up about his life. Hopefully, he will pick a steady
hand for his V.P. to settle the nerves of all those Midwestern farmers
he typecast.
Imagining
a Hillary victory, and its impact on the Democratic Party raises
different concerns. Certainly financing and organization would not be
issues, as Hillary has all the quantifiable tools. What she doesn’t
have is the intangibles. The general like-ability of Obama, his pop culture appeal, and his bandwagon supporters. Much like Tiger Woods brought people into golf who were never before golf fans, Obama has done the same for politics.
One reality of this luxury for the P.G.A., is that when Tiger doesn’t
play, T.V. ratings plummet. If Hillary were to win, and Obama doesn’t
end up as her V.P., one has to wonder what would happen to his
bandwagon supporters. Would they vote for Hillary? Resent Hillary for
her attacks on Obama and vote for McCain? Or simply lose interest and
not vote at all?