ELECTION 2008: Ten Things We learned On Super Tuesday

By Craig Gordon and Dan Janison

February 6, 2008

The biggest single primary day in American history, stretched across 24 states sea to sea, pushed Republican John McCain ever closer to his party's nomination but left Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama locked in a contest with no quick end in sight.

Clinton and Obama traded win for win over the course of a dramatic election night that unfolded across the time zones, but the final outcome awaited the results of the day's biggest prize, California.

Anyone who hoped Super Tuesday would finish the races was to be disappointed. Clinton and Obama appeared headed toward a split decision that would allow them to march on to contests stretching into April and perhaps beyond.

McCain hoped to cap his rise-from-the-political-dead with the nomination in hand, but wins by Mike Huckabee in the South seemed to deny him his moment - and show that conservatives aren't ready to give him the crown without a fight. Mitt Romney also pledged to fight on, even taking the battle to the convention.

1

A stalemate for Clinton, Obama

Super Tuesday turned into a super standoff between Clinton and Obama, who each racked up critical wins to keep their nomination hopes alive - and their nomination battle going for weeks if not months. Clinton wracked up a major Northeastern trifecta - New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, where the Kennedy clan went all out for Obama but came up short. But Obama matched her eight wins with 11 by midnight - reducing a night of history and drama between a woman and an African-American fighting for the presidency into a tussle for convention delegates.

2

Republicans' family fued isn't over

John McCain got ahead of himself when he started predicting he'd wrap up the nomination last night - but he took a big step toward that goal, picking up 198 out of the 1,191 delegates needed for the nomination in a sweep of just four Northeastern states. All signs still point to his becoming the Republican nominee, but Bible Belt wins by Mike Huckabee and a pledge to go on from a faltering Mitt Romney show the Republican family feud isn't over yet.

3

It's a win-win situation in New York

Hillary Rodham Clinton really does own favorite-daughter status in the state she has served as a U.S. senator since 2001 - especially as exit polls showed she could dominate among Hispanic and white female voters. John McCain has the ability, as reflected in polls of recent weeks, to seamlessly replace Rudy Giuliani as favorite among New York Republicans. Both state major party organizations win the day.

4

Long Island tally shows the way for state

As Long Island goes, so goes much of New York State - with Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain rolling up big margins here. The vote tallies look like they should yield Clinton twice as many national convention delegates as Barack Obama, from congressional districts covering Nassau and Suffolk. Because GOP rules differ, McCain automatically carries most of the state's delegates as a result of winning the popular vote.

5

Kennedy name didn't win

Endorsements do not guarantee votes - and that includes endorsements from a famous Democratic family. In Massachusetts, veteran Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's backing of Obama won big attention, but Clinton won big in the state's primary. Other Kennedy-family Obama backers included Maria Shriver and John F. Kennedy's daughter Caroline - while Clinton had support from survivors of onetime New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

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