By Ryan (Politics Editor)

Many thought a Texas Obama win was very possible, and although Ohio had always been a harder target for the Obama campaign polling before the race had showed a very tight primary. What happened was a message from the voters. In the primaries and caucuses that day the voters decided that the nomination process should go on; they wanted further examination of the candidates. How though, will this help Democrats win the election?

The short answer is it will not. With John McCain as the GOP nominee, McCain is free to open fire on the Democrats. He doesn’t have to worry about primaries or that pesky Huckabee anymore. The only hurdle now is a VP choice, and even that doesn’t need to be sorted with extreme expediency. While the Democrats continue playing chicken down the long road to the convention, McCain can begin his Presidential campaign. He now has free time to raise money and strengthen the GOP political machine.

Meanwhile, the Democrats need to pick a candidate, and that’s where the main dilemma stands. The superdelegates issue has been talked to death by the media, but no real solution has appeared. It now seems very likely that the Democratic convention will be the deciding point for the nomination. If this occurs, whoever wins the nomination will carry a laundry list of attacks on them by the past Democratic contender not to mention a primed and ready GOP political machine.

So as of right now, the Democrats, once seen as the party to beat for this years elections are actually behind in the race for President, with no foreseeable conclusion until the convention.

Will the democratic nomination be decided by a brokered deal between the two candidates?

Who will win the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary?

Popularity: 15% [?]

By Ryan (Politics Editor)

After 11 straight losses since Super Tuesday, the Clinton campaign is on the ropes. Though it may be depressing for Clinton supporters to face, the possibility of her dropping out after March 4th is very real. The inspiration of New Hampshire might still reinvigorate hope of a comeback in some, but even if Clinton manages to bag Ohio, dropping out may be her best course of action.

It is said that money makes the world go round, and in political campaigns no truer words are spoken. Contributions to Obama in recent months have filled the coffers and due to this Obama currently trounces Clinton in advertising. Especially in Texas where Obama is dominating the airwaves. News forecaster, Hubdub is predicting that the chances of Clinton winning in Texas are slim. Hubdub and others like it have been accurate predictors of the primaries so far.

But why should she drop out? Yes she’s losing primaries, yes she’s losing money, but why should she really dropout? The answer is Nader! Yes that wily 60 something year old is at it again. He ruined Gore and now he’s ruined Hillary. It would seem the outspoken consumer rights activist really has something against the former Clinton administration…

So how is this possible? Well, we can all agree that to a certain extent Clinton is a more divisive candidate than Obama. If Hillary were to run against McCain in 2008, the Nader factor would come into play. In a divisive campaign Nader pulls votes from Democrats, not Republicans. With Hillary only winning by the slimmest of margins in match ups against McCain, Nader’s siphoning of Democratic votes would turn an already polarized electorate lethal. Clinton would not be able to get enough votes to beat McCain due to Nader. In tight states like Florida, McCain would win by the smallest of margins, but he would still win.

Thinking tactically, Democrats, which ever candidate they favor, should support Clinton dropping out after March 4th. Not because of her policies or her message but because of the baggage carried with the Clinton name. This divisive factor compounded by Nader’s siphoning are to blame. With Obama, it’s more likely Republican votes can be stolen. Additionally independents, usually a mainstay of McCain, have shown increased support for Obama. To ensure a rerun of 2000 doesn’t occur Democrats must think about the most plausible way of winning, and as of now that way is Obama.

Track Clinton v McCain in a head to head: If Clinton is nominated, who will win the Presidency?

Track Obama v McCain in a head to head: If Obama is nominated, who will in the Presidency?

Popularity: 16% [?]

By Lesley (Editor-In-Chief)

Hubdub, a website that allows users to bet play money on news events, is reporting a rising phenomenon of users becoming Hubdub addicts, or Hubdubaholics as they’re calling themselves.

If you recognise any of these characteristics, then seek help immediately:
1. You are obsessed about the weather: You check the forecast in Angola (when you live in LA) and stay up to 3am waiting for it to rain in Denver (when you live in NYC).

2. You develop an intense passion for politics: You follow every second of every speech made by Clinton and Obama: you have a wager on whether Hillary will cry again and how many times Obama will say “change”. One Hubdubber said, “I’ve never been so interested in politics in my life”.

3. Your chores are left undone and life is put on hold: 25 year old Laura* who admits that she hasn’t done any laundry or cleaning since discovering Hubdub, says sheepishly, “I am in a worried state for my own future”, and goes on to confess, “I have printed charts and progress lists everywhere. Rise and fall, I crosscheck it all!”

4. You forget to eat: One Hubdubaholic, David (age 18), confirms that he’s “forgotten to eat some days” and is “certain (enough to bet $1000 on Yes) that he’s far from alone in his experience”. “I was so busy worrying about who will win the March 4th Primaries that I forgot all about lunch”

5. You begin to lose rational thought: You hear a news story about a missing child and think – do I have a wager on that? You structure your life around the opening and closing of the financial markets. “I drool like Pavlov’s dog when I hear the opening and closing bell of the DOW, wondering which wagers I won” says Adam (age 34). And your whole day revolves around the site, “As soon as I wake, I Hubdub. Fresh out the shower? I Hubdub. As soon as I get into the office? Hubdub. My daily commute? Leave home shortly before the DAX closes, arrive at work before the DOW opens, leave work after the DOW closes, and make it home before the reality shows and evening news shows.”

6. You begin to treat news like porn: You hide your PC screen whenever your boss walks by and you sneak news peeks like you’re visiting an adult entertainment site. “I feel so guilty, but I can’t stop myself, it’s so riveting” says Adam.

7. You suffer insomnia: You have sleepless nights about losing too many Hubdub dollars overnight on the latest NFL question. You toss and turn wondering if Britney will be hospitalised again.

8. Your reading and TV habits alter dramatically: You read every section of the newspaper and race home from work/college just to catch the latest headlines. One Hubdubaholic from New York admits that he “Asked to borrow a newspaper from a fellow commuter on the way to work to check for info on whose flashbacks will appear in LOST that night.” Another confesses that “All the sites and blogs that I used to visit, I don’t visit anymore.” And TV viewing becomes increasingly impossible, “I even have to turn off “Jeopardy!” because I can’t think about that and Hubdub at the same time.”

9. You have vivid and recurring dreams: You dream about making it onto the leaderboard, or just notching one rank above your buddy, proving that you are indeed smarter than them. According to Stephen, age 30, “I think about it all the time, even in my sleep. Nothing beats the thrill of winning a prediction. Or, of climbing the leaderboard. Or, of knowing that I was right when others were wrong.”

10. You become isolated: You wonder how to include other Hubdubbers into your “real” life, for they are the only ones you can communicate with. You stop socialising because alcohol dulls your brain and it needs to stay sharp to hubdub. “I had a couple of glasses of wine last week then got onto Hubdub and lost myself a couple of thousand Hubdub dollars on what will be top of the box office this weekend…never again.”

It is feared that things could go from bad to worse now that new functionality has been introduced allowing users to compete hard against their friends.

Please remember folks, friends don’t let friends drink and Hubdub. And whatever happens, it’s only a game. Isn’t it?

* Names have been changed to protect the innocent (but addicted)

Popularity: 13% [?]