KCC Presidential Race Coverage: The Score
by Igor Derysh

With thirty-six states having already voted it has become apparent how the Democratic and Republican nominating contests will finish. While one party has all but nominated their front-runner, the other remains deadlocked.

John McCain has locked up the nomination on the Republican side, winning fifteen states to Mike Huckabee's eight.

McCain now holds a commanding 621 delegate lead, 895 to 274. With Mitt Romney having dropped out of the race and thrown his support behind McCain, it is only a matter of time before McCain gets the 1,191 delegates necessary to be nominated. The Democrats, meanwhile, are having all sorts of problems getting behind a single candidate as Barack Obama leads Clinton by just 91 delegates, 1355 to 1264 (according to ABC News). Even though Senator Obama has won 23 states and Washington D.C. to Senator Clinton's 13 states, the race remains close because Clinton has won bigger states and has an advantage among “Super Delegates.”

Super Delegates:

In recent weeks, a debate has raged in the media over the role of “super delegates.” Super delegates are most common to the Democratic party in that they make up one-fifth of all 2,025 Democratic delegates.

These delegates are especially important in a tight race as this one.

The Republicans also have delegates similar to these, but only 123 of them, comprised of Republican National Committee members. Democratic super delegates are current Congressmen, Senators, Governors, distinguished party members (former Presidents, Vice-Presidents, party leaders, etc.) and other Democrats who have a held interest in the party. In total, there are 799 Democratic super delegates with 795 votes at the Democratic Convention in August (eight members have one-half of a vote).

Although the Super Delegate system is not new, it has come under criticism lately because it is believed that they hold too much power and are advantageous to Senator Clinton because of the many connections that she and her husband have from their days in the White House.

As of yet it is unclear who, if anyone, has the advantage. Clinton currently leads Obama by just 73 super delegates, 247-184 (according to CNN) with 354 still uncommitted. With Senator Obama having received the endorsements and super delegate votes of party leaders like Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, it is unlikely that this system gives Clinton an unfair advantage.

An argument can be made for both sides of the power debate. On the one hand, super delegates have a long-term stake in the success of the party. On the other hand, there is a great possibility that the super delegates could decide the victor of this race, which takes the power out of the hands of the voters.

Democratic Controversy:

In response to Michigan and Florida moving their primaries up to dates earlier than February 5, the earliest date to schedule a primary, the Democratic National Committee stripped both states of all of their delegates. With a convention election now a possibility, the party risks disenfranchising millions of voters and pushing them away to the Republicans. At the same time, the party does not have many options.

To hold another primary would simply cost too much money. To hold a caucus would disenfranchise the elderly and working people. Any additional contest would give Hillary Clinton an advantage as she has been most vocal about giving the two states their delegates, but only after having won both states. The only viable solution for the Democrats might be to sit the delegations of both states based on the national popular vote.

Republican Questions:

The Republican primaries have been anything but controversial.

It is no longer a matter of if, but rather when John McCain will win the nomination. The only question remaining is who will be McCain's running mate. With McCain being on the moderate side, his Vice President would have to be someone who appeals to the religious right. The man best known for his religion is Mike Huckabee, though he has pretty much taken himself out of the running by being nothing but a thorn in McCain's side for the last month.

Two other legitimate options are former Tennessee Senator and presidential candidate Fred Thompson and Florida Governor and McCain supporter Charlie Crist. While Thompson would help McCain garner the support of Evangelical Republicans, he does not bring much else to the table. His campaign never took off and his lack of enthusiasm turned many people off. On a human level, 71-year-old McCain doesn't silence any doubters by adding 65-year-old Thompson to his ticket.

Charlie Crist, the ever popular Governor of Florida, would ordinarily be a perfect choice for Vice President. Crist, who enjoys a more than seventy-percent approval rating, would almost certainly hand Florida to McCain but his moderate record offers no help among far-right conservatives elsewhere.

The likely choice would be big time McCain supporter Tim Pawlenty, the 47-year-old Governor of Minnesota and darling of the Republican base.

A young Governor, popular in his state and his party, would do wonders for McCain in the media, with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter and allow those voters who are concerned with McCain's age to rest easy. As far as how McCain, who supports the current stance on the war and the economy, intends to draw Democratic and moderate voters is another story.