Presidential Race Hinges on Super Tuesday

By Pamela Mortimer

Reports say that the "Super Tuesday" primary has encouraged record numbers of people to speak up. Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama reportedly spend $1.3 per day on TV campaign ads, hoping to make a last minute push for the support of voters.

Mitt Romney is still struggling to stay in the race and gave an eleventh hour appeal to conservatives in hopes of derailing Republican leader John McCain.

"We’re going to hand the liberals in our party a little surprise," boasted Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, predicting he would cause a political upset in California.

On Monday, McCain projected confidence in his campaign, not only about taking the nomination but regarding November’s general election as well. "I can lead this nation and motivate all Americans to serve a cause greater than their self-interest," he said while campaigning in New Jersey.

Both candidates are unwilling to leave anything to chance and have hastily rearranged their campaign stops to make one more appearance in California, the state that holds the largest number of delegates, which number at 170.

The heavy campaign schedule is beginning to take its toll on the candidates. The schedules are brutal and have put a strain on the endurance of each candidate.

At one stop, Hillary Clinton’s voice was raspy and she struggled to control a cough.

Romney’s schedule is also strenuous. Monday, he had breakfast in Tennessee, was in Georgia for lunch, was scheduled to land in Oklahoma at dinnertime, and has plans to arrive in California for a rally shortly before midnight. After all of that, Romney will fly through the night to attend the West Virginia state convention on Tuesday morning.

As it stands right now, the Dems lack a clear front runner in the presidential race. The competition between Clinton and Obama is already a historical event. If Clinton wins, she will be the first female president; if Obama wins, he will be the first African-American in command.

Obama is quick to claim the role of the underdog. "Senator Clinton is certainly the favorite on Feb. 5, given the huge leads she has held in many of these contests throughout the course of the campaign and the political, historical and geographic advantages she enjoys in many of these states," stated a memo written by David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager.

When campaigning in New Jersey, Obama compared himself to the New York Giants, who defeated the previously unbeaten New England Patriots at Sunday’s Super Bowl.

"Sometimes the underdog pulls it out," he said. "You can’t always believe the pundits and prognosticators."