LA, WA, NE: Big States , Little States...Red States, Blue States

I am disappointed that Sen. Clinton wasn't prepared to take this past 'Super' Tuesday...as a 'young' democrat who has voted for the last 15 years (yup ... been voting since I was 18)I am equally disappointed to see her campaign favor a more traditional route into the nomination (left coast, east coast, pull in urban areas to sway states blue in the midwest) which leads me to believe her campaign would be equally lazy in securing the general election ... it didn't work in 2004 so it probably won't work in 2008. I am disappointed that Sen. Clinton's campaign strategy consists of using her husband's favorables to counterbalance her unfavorables -- while expecting me as a voter not to consider her husband's unfavorables (ie - weak internationally -- somalia, arguably weak judicial nominees, etc.).

However, I am pleasantly surprised that Sen. Obama has given Sen. Clinton such a strong challenge for the nomination. I am pleasantly surprised he's has inspired so many young voters to register and to actually vote. I am glad he has brought back a level of equity to states that have long not been heard within the democratic party -- because despite what many who post believe NY and especially NYC is not the center of the universe.

Let's face it McCain is the presumptive nominee on the republican side -- and he did it without the support of the evangelicals or the conservatives. The democratic nominee will need to be able to make enough moderate republicans vote 'blue' for the general election. While I believe there's enough in Sen. Clinton's senate voting history to make moderate republicans consider her in November, I don't believe she is currently running a campaign that can pull it off. I suspect if Sen. Clinton wins the nomination, her campaign will not be ready to establish ground forces in key states where moderate republicans can be found -- such as Nebraska, Louisiana, Washington, Minnesota, etc. She will use the same broke 'messaging' that didn't work for democrats in 2000 or 2004. Her campaign will have no way of tapping into the all of the 'new' money Sen. Obama's campaign has generated, so she will rely more on soft money (both overt soft money and 527s)which will allow republicans to brand her as more of the same....

I would hope democrats would not discount any of Sen. Obama's wins and would see how 'big' these wins are for the democratic party and celebrate the strong possibility of a win in November.