Tonight on Larry King Live (with John King filling in), James Carville tried to pooh-pooh the value of Obama's ability to win small red states. Carville smugly asked "how many Idahos equal one California?" Adding, "I mean, ya know, come on." OK Captain Smirky Pants, let's see... Obama won Idaho by a margin of 12 delegates, and Clinton won California by a margin of 36 delegates. Now I'm no professional mathematician, but methinks the answer is a-one... a-two.... a-three. Three.
Three Idahos equals on California, Mr. Carville. That's why Obama is WINNING.
Let me take this opportunity to repeat a very important word: MATH.
This is a race for delegates, and delegates are awarded generally by district so that to net one or more in any given district, you have to win substantially. Everyone living here in the Kosmos knows this, but most of the general public doesn't. News organizations who like a crazy close contest perpetuate the misconception (that Clinton is hoping continues), that Obama and Clinton are trading the lead back and forth, and that it's neck-and-neck, and that we have to wait and see. Is it possible? Sure. And it's possible a meteor will destroy Tuscaloosa, Alabama tomorrow. Clinton, by analysis ad nauseum from many diarists here, would have to win every remaining contest by something close to 58-42% to even catch up to even in pledged delegates. Every race. Including Mississippi today, and states like North Carolina later. Ain't. Gonna. Happen.
Therefore, it should be noted over and over again (which I am now contributing to) that Clinton's only strategy is to get closer in pledged delegates, then convince enough of the remaining undecided super delegates to vote for her despite Obama's lead, because she's been winning lately. To put it another way, she wants party elites to go against the will of regular voters. That's exactly the kind of politics Obama is running against, and why he's winning.
So add James Carville to the list of Clinton supporters making fun of one of those unimportant states, and point out to him that 1 Georgia + 1 Alaska > 1 California.