Ohio Primary pivotal
On March 4 in the Presidential race, Ohio could again be the decider

By Michael Edwards
Contributing Writer
Columbus Post

The democratic and republican nominations are still up for grabs and again Ohio could resume its role as a decision-maker. The race for delegates is so close in both parties that it is mathematically impossible for any candidate to lock up the nomination on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, according to an Associated Press analysis of the states in play that day.
Super Tuesday commonly refers to the Tuesday in early February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated. More delegates can typically be won on Super Tuesday than on any other single day of the primary calendar, and accordingly, candidates seeking the presidency traditionally must do well on this day to secure their party's nomination.
This year, 24 states will hold primaries or caucuses on this date, with 52 percent of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41 percent of the total Republican Party delegates at stake. Thirty-six states – counting Iowa and New Hampshire – will have weighed in before Ohio gets its turn. Accordingly, a frontrunner typically emerges prior to Ohio's later primary.
" Depending on what happens over the next few weeks, you can come up with a scenario by which Ohio is once again the center of the nation's attention," said former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, who is chairing Republican Sen. John McCain's campaign in Ohio. On the Democratic side, state Sen. Eric Kearney, D-Cincinnati, who's helping coordinate Sen. Barack Obama's Ohio campaign, said he expects Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton and maybe former Sen. John Edwards to still be competing by the time Ohio votes.
Gov. Ted Strickland, who has endorsed Sen. Clinton, stresses the need to organize early, urging supporters to help Clinton in other states through phone calls and fundraising. Strickland also added: "If the contest is still alive at the time of the Ohio primary, I hope Ohio is the state that clinches the deal."
The last time an Ohio primary was of this much interest was in 1984, when Democrats Jesse Jackson, Gary Hart and Walter Mondale were still battling for the nomination when the primary came to Ohio.
Strickland said his endorsement of Clinton "does not mean I do not like, respect and even admire the other (Democratic) candidates. But I am absolutely convinced that whoever the next president is, and I believe it will be Sen. Clinton, will be facing challenges that require the kind of strength, character and experiential background that she brings to the effort." He went on to say: "This is not an attempt to be negative toward anyone else. It's just an attempt on my part to show my very positive feelings about the capabilities of Sen. Clinton."
Clinton, who has publicly acknowledged the role that Ohio has played, stated it was a "great honor" to have Strickland's support. "It means a lot to me personally...the road to the White House goes through Ohio," said Clinton in a pre-recorded statement.
Strickland dismisses speculation about him being a potential vice president in a Clinton administration. "Let me put the vice president issue to rest," he said. "I love being the governor of Ohio."
Last fall, when it was time to file the required paperwork, Obama was the first presidential candidate to officially file a petition to appear on the Ohio's Mar. 4 presidential primary ballot.
" We're excited," said Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman at a downtown rally in October. Coleman is an Obama backer. "Obama represents a new generation of leadership."
Ohio's role was pivotal to the outcomes of both the 2000 and 2004 elections. President Bush won the state both times. In 2000, that gave him a crucial 21 Electoral College votes. In 2004, it meant an equally important 20 Electoral College votes.

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