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Like most people, I've been pretty pessimistic about the odds of Maryland actually having an influential role in the presidential nomination process. But could I be wrong? Chris Bowers noted a while back that it's unlikely that the Democratic nomination will be settled by Super Tuesday, which is coming up in little more than a week. And it now looks like Maryland (along with Washington, DC and Virginia) are preparing for that possibility:
With no other states holding primaries or caucuses that day, leaders in both parties are looking forward to their states playing an unprecedented role.
"Virginia could be the nail in someone's coffin," said Del. Christopher B. Saxman (R-Staunton), state co-chairman for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
Or not. For the moment, the influence that the Feb. 12 contests might exert is anyone's guess.
"After New Hampshire, nobody in their right mind should predict anything," said Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, referring to the dramatic Jan. 8 primary victory of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), which took pollsters and pundits by surprise.
As for who would win Maryland, it's anybody's guess. Assuming the race is not settled on either side, the most recent polls from a month ago suggested Hillary Clinton and John McCain would each get the nod. I don't know about the GOP race, but I would wager that, if African-Americans turn out for Barack Obama the way they did in South Carolina this past Saturday, he'll have the Free State locked up, Martin O'Malley, et al, be damned.
Speaking of South Carolina, here's Obama's excellent victory speech from Saturday night:
