Global Health Nexus

Primary Response - 10

Okay. Its the next day now, and obviously that became pretty ridiculous last night and if any of you are asking yourselves - hey, you know, what exactly was the point? - well you would certainly have a second in me.

And I'm not sure which was the most stupid: The relentless youtube rhino videos. That whole thing about Soldedad O'Brien. Or the picture.

Probably the picture.

But nonetheless, having started it all I do feel obliged to now try and wrap up our special Super Tuesday coverage some how. So I might as well go ahead and do that by linking to other people a lot more insightful about this kind of thing than me.

But first things first:

What are the post Super Tuesday delegate counts? Well, they vary apparently. And the difference lies with those who are counting "projected delegates" and those who are not.

Over at Politico they have -

For the Republicans:

McCain - 613

Romney - 269

Huckabee - 190

Paul - 14

With 1,191 needed to win.

Democrats:

Clinton - 845

Obama - 765

With 2,025 needed to win.

But hold on. This Slate article - Delegate Count Chaos! - goes into the issue deeper while dropping the wildy varying delegate count numbers from various news organizations.

On the Democratic race:

What seems interesting is, that despite what I said last night, Obama seemed to win a lot of heartland red States while not doing as well as he had hoped in either the Northeast (other than Connecticut) or the the two big prizes of New York and California.

This is certainly what initially impressed Karl Rove.

So what is at the heart of this Clinton - Obama divide?

For an idea you might want to read this e-mailer to TalkingPointsMemo.

David Frum of all people wonders if there is a class divide amongst the Democrats.

And yet considering where he was months, even weeks ago the fact that Obama was able to basically pull even in delegate counts, with some counts actually having him leading - is that evidence of a Obama surge?

Marc Ambinder points out that he is basically really well organized in some States, as he was in Iowa.

Andrew Sullivan is all for him.

While James Wolcott is not buying it. He's a Hillary man. And its a legitimate question: Obama talks so much about bi-partisanship, but what happens when the Republicans come after him guns blazing, or have no interest co-operating with him on anything.

Here's an interestingly analogy getting much play:

Obama's a Mac. Clinton's a PC.

George Packer demonstrates definitively why the Obama - JFK comparison is just lame, inaccurate, actually quite limiting and just a bad all around idea for Obama. And he's right. JFK is one of the most overrated Presidents ever.

Meanwhile over at the Republican tent, I'll keep this short:

One of the big questions for the moment is now that Mitt Romney has now spent 1.16 million dollars per delegate earned - which at that rate will cost him 1.33 Billion dollars (!) to win the nomination - will he now give up the ghost and finally drop out of the race?

And would Huckabee ever accept being McCain's VP? And would that be enough to placate all the GOP's right wing dittoheads?

But after all of this - the other obvious big question of the day is:

Shaq for Marion?

Good Lord.

That's it for me. For today. Elect whoever you want.

I give.

Primary Response - 9

The California numbers are coming in and they look very bad for Obama.

We begin discussing the journalistic talents of perky CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien.

We have decided to look for the most compromising Soledad O'Brien photos we can find, and I'm afraid there are just not that many. This is the best we can find right now. So just use your imagination.

Matthew would like a word. Matthew?

Um, no. Actually, we're sorry, it seems he has declined.

They have just given Georgia to Huckabee. It was incredibly close. They are all around 30. Politico is giving him the state with 33.97%, McCain at 32.25 and Romney at 29.64.

McCain is now about to speak and I am about to run out of power again. We had turned up the TV but the people at the other table became uncomfortable and so once more we have turned it down and now I can't hear it again.

Cindy McCain is wearing a stunning red jacket. It is incredibly striking. Matthew thinks it has more to do with the monitor we are watching. He feels the saturation is far too high. John McCain's 95 year old mother is also wearing red.

It is beginning to dawn on Jim that Obama might actually lose, and I'm worried that he is not properly prepared for this. And in Jim's potential anger and disillusionment which may come with an Obama loss I feel lays a larger universal symbol for potentially disenchanted youth everywhere.

McCain was speaking and then Obama came up to speak on the other side of the split screen.

Then CNN decides to go with Obama - so what does that tell you?

Obama is speaking and we are the only ones here at the Rhino who seem to care. Once more I am almost out of power so I am going to have to post this post now and go plug in again.

Primary Response - 8

We have now moved to the back room and I managed to plug in for a little while and grab about 13% more power, so like - I'm back.

My cousin Matt has shown up. He says hey.

The polls in California have just closed so its about to get really exciting.

Hillary just gave a speech to her supporters in New York City and we were trying to figure out why which was tricky because we could barely hear what she was saying. We decided to take a photo of all of us just to add a little texture to the evening. I almost always take a bad photo. I never know how to smile and so I often over-compensate. So that's why I look like that.

We just got the waitress to turn up the TV so now for the first time tonight we actually have sound and can hear the actual wise words of the CNN punidts.

Wolfe has just shown the first numbers out of California and it appears Obama is losing quite badly.

Primary Response - 7

It's 10:11 now and I am really losing power. We have no sound from the TV here in The Rhino, just the bad eighties music from the juke box, so we don't know what anyone is saying. Mike Huckabee is speaking right now and we have no idea what he is saying. Obama is doubling Hillary in Minnesota but Hillary is doing very well in the North-east apparently what with her winning in Jersey, Massachusetts and of course New York.

Just saw the title of the book that the guy in the black toque is reading. And its called:

WORLD OF MONSTERS!

How super Tuesday appropriate is that.

Down to 19% power now. Apparently there's an outlet in the back but there are people watching sports highlights back there.

The guy's black toque is a Steamwhistle toque. AND he's actually drinking Steamwhistle. AND he just ordered some wings. My cousin Matt just called me on my new cell phone and he's coming down to meet us. But we might be out of power by then.

This just in: I talked to the guys in the back and they say its okay if we change the TV in the back to CNN so we are going to go ahead and do that. I'll have to get back to you from another part of the bar.

Primary Response - 6

Okay. Its 9:00 o'clock. And CNN is already giving New York to Hillary. No percentage in yet but they are already giving it to her. But remember with the Democrats - its proportional. Its not necessarily who wins but what the numbers are.

I am now down to 48% power and there are no outlets anywhere in sight here at the Rhino. But this is what's its like here now:

I am actually drinking pints of Rhino. That's what they call it. When I order I order a Rhino. This kind of shit goes on all the time down here. That's how it got its name. Parkdale is a very literal kind of place.

Primary Response - 5

CNN is already calling Delaware for McCain, with 18% of the precincts reporting. This seems early. We are somewhat mystified as to CNN's hairtrigger State calling. We think Wolfe is being a little premature.

Obama is killing Clinton in Alabama. And come to think of it he also killed her in South Carolina like a week and a half ago, so I think I should take back what I said earlier In Primary Response -4 about the South. The South is probably as ready as anywhere else. Whatever "ready" means.

Maybe I'm not ready.

Maybe live blogging super Tuesday from Parkdale bar is just beyond me, and tends to make for some dismal punditry.

Primary Response - 4

McCain now has three states - Connecticut, Illinois and Jersey.

Arkansas is coming up in three minutes.

A brief lull in the action - which allows me to go ahead post this great "Clinton - Cruise" video for all of those who haven't seen it yet:

CNN is now calling Oklahoma for Clinton.

They are also giving Arkansas to Clinton.

Huckabee wins Arkansas.

Some guy in a black toque has just arrived and is quietly sitting next to us at the bar, drinking a pint of Steamwhistle and reading a novel. Can't tell what book it is and it seems to me a little dark to be reading.

CNN is giving Tennesee to Clinton.

The South is just not ready.

Primary Response - 3

Okay, we've passed eight o'clock so let's get to it:

CNN is calling Connecticut and Illinois for McCain.

Romney has won his home state of Massachusetts. No big upset in Massachusetts.

Jersey was just called for McCain.

Politico is showing Hillary doubling Obama in Oklahoma.

We are going to check the Jersey numbers:

Holy Shit! Hillary is like tripling Obama in Jersey. A brief panic ensues between Jim and I before we realize that it is still very early.

Primary Response - 2

Some of you may be familiar with my friend Jim's work in the classic 2005 American war film American Soldiers (shot in downtown Hamilton. That's downtown Hamilton - as Baghdad) or in my own tragically under appreciated 2006 non-hit Toronto Fringe play Piece, but Jim also happens to be quite the political junkie in his own right. And like most young people, he really wants Obama to win.

Look for him in the upcoming Season 2 of The Tudors:

Perhaps even check out some Tudors blog buzz if you're feeling so inclined

His frites were excellent by the way, but there was no way that steak was medium rare.

Primary Response -1 (Live Blogging Super Tuesday)

I have my found my right, proper Super Tuesday perch here at the The Rhino in the beautiful Parkdale district of Toronto, Ontario. That's right - in a true spirit of nonpartisanship. Not the Elephant. Not the Donkey. The Rhino. My friend Jim and I have taken seats here at the bar and gallantly fought off the hard core vestiges of The Leaf Nation in order to commandeer one of the TV's which we have had switched to CNN -so now we're good to go.

CNN has just announced Georgia for Obama, and both Jim and my dinner(s) have just arrived, so though we have just started our live Super Tuesday blogging here at GHN, and I'm afraid I am already going to have to take a dinner break.

I am having the pasta special with the small Caeser. Jim is having the steak- frites.