Poor Night for Punditry

What happened?

Super Tuesday II was supposed to be "Hillary's last stand."  At least, that was the conventional wisdom from so many of the political pundits we see on television, hear on the radio, and read in the newspapers.  Clearly, supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton didn't watch the pundits on TV, didn't listen to them on the radio, and didn't read their columns in the newspapers.

Clinton won the big prizes of Ohio and Texas ... and also earned a victory in Rhode Island.  Barack Obama captured Vermont.  Once all the dust has settled, the all important delegate count will likely see Obama with the same margin he held over Clinton heading into the Super Tuesday II primaries.  But the momentum that comes with ending a losing streak and winning the popular vote in three of the four states up for grabs is worth gold to the Clinton campaign.

As a political junkie I watch, hear, and read what a lot of the political pundits and experts have to say.  And it's a lot of fun to get their views on what's happening.  But it's important to keep in mind there is a huge difference between analysis and prognostication.  A political expert who looked at the Democratic race prior to yesterday's voting and suggested Clinton needed a win in Ohio and/or Texas to keep her campaign viable would have been offering analysis ... and would have been echoing the sentiments of many on Team Clinton.  Pundits and observers who made predictions as to what would happen yesterday were looking into their crystal balls and offering their best guesses.

It appears as tough the voters once again tossed out the crystal balls and surprised the prognosticators ... making it clear the American voters ... not the pundits ... would determine the outcome of Decision 2008.

Onto Wyoming on Saturday.  This is fun!

A quick note on another subject ... Senate President Pro-Tem Mike Gibbons is scheduled to undergo surgery, today, to remove his cancerous prostate.  Recover quickly ... Mike.  It'll be great to see one of the nicest guys in Missouri politics back at the Capitol.

- Steve Walsh