The Latest Campaign News

Barack Obama took yesterday off from the presidential campaign, just as I took yesterday off from this blog. But now Barack is back, and so am I. Hello Cleveland! :-D

That's exactly where Obama should be. Hillary Clinton is leading by a large margin in Ohio, which holds its primary on March 4, and she needs both Ohio and Texas - also voting on March 4 - to prove she's still viable. Obama has actually cut Hillary's lead in Texas significantly, and he still has a winning formula of message and momentum even as the Wicked Witch of Westchester falters. (She changes slogans as quickly as Volkswagen did in the 1980s.)

But nothing is forever. Obama leads Hillary by only five percentage points in the latest poll in the Wisconsin primary (taking place this Tuesday) with ten percent undecided. Obama could conceivably lose Wisconsin if he's not careful, even as he hopes to set his sights on Texas and Ohio. (Wisconsin seemed to be safe in Obama's column not too long ago, but now Hillary is competing for the state.) Soon Obama will have to win a decisive victory in a large state to put lingering fears over his electability over John McCain to rest. I'm sure Obama chief strategist David Axelrod understands that.

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney endorsed John McCain with all of the warmth of the automaton he is. McCain is getting lukewarm support from conservatives and conservative wannabes like Romney at best, but the message should be clear to Mike Huckabee that he should bow out gracefully,and as soon as possible.