NPR: A Geographical Look at the Super Tuesday Results

A Geographical Look at the Super Tuesday Results

Let's take a look at the big picture now. Thanks to NPR's cool, interactive, multi-colored map, one can reach a few conclusions about how this race is shaping up for Republicans and Democrats.

On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee isn't going away. He hasn't won a state north of the Mason-Dixon Line, except for Iowa, and he may not have much money. But he could easily pull in a few more Southern prizes with primaries yet to come in states like Louisiana and Mississippi, and if nothing else, play a spoiler role.

The spoilee stands to be Mitt Romney. On Tuesday, John McCain's backers in West Virginia threw their support behind Huckabee, rather than let Romney win. Romney's problem isn't money — he's got lots of that. Romney just hasn't been able to win over enough of the party's social conservative base. Evangelical Christians have backed Huckabee, the former Baptist minister.

Romney has captured wins along the northern Plains, the mountain West, and in two states he's called home, Michigan and Massachusetts. But the big delegate prizes on Super Tuesday went to McCain — states like California, New York and New Jersey, where voters tend to fit his more moderate profile. He won nearly a 4-to-1 advantage in delegates Tuesday, and it's hard to figure how Romney can catch up.

Among Democrats, both candidates could claim wins on Tuesday. Sen. Barack Obama put more states in his column, including his home state of Illinois and the largest state, Alaska. But Clinton won the most populous states, California and her home state, New York, and has a slight lead among delegates, which Democrats award on a proportional basis. And while Clinton has set her sights on November — based on her victory speech Tuesday night with references to the Republicans' attack machine — the battle for the Democratic nomination is far from over.

-- Brian Naylor

2:47 AM ET | 02- 6-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

I'm still stunned that we're going into this significant election, after so many debates, some with racial overtones, without anyone asking both Clinton and Obama, side by side, to explain what they would do to support both the African American community and Women's rights. Should the question be asked when it still matters, I'd be looking for proposals to bridge the education and opportunities gap, and for work-life balance, both steps that support youth and our future. That would speak volumes about the candidates awareness, and their willingness and courage in tackling tough problems. Or are we all too chicken that it would actually stir a debate? Reserving the race (or gender) card for attacks only does not help anyone decide.

Sent by Ioana Sundius | 4:03 AM ET | 02-06-2008

Looks like it will be McCain against Clinton from this perspective. Lobbies, big business and big media appear to be getting what they pay for.
Best regards.

Sent by Dave Rosen | 11:09 AM ET | 02-06-2008

It seems to me that we will see a McCain/Huckabee ticket as Romney's demise seems to be at the heart of this race for me and most in the GOP, namely that the Republican party is undergoing an identity crisis, trying to reconcile the Reagan Era ideologies (economy, foreign policy, domestic policy) with just how off kilter the party has become under the Bush-Clinton model, a fact Congressman Paul has driven all too often every time he is heard. McCain serves to aggravate this conflict by offering nothing but the NeoCon + liberal ideological compromises that this last administration has only served to enhance, thus aggravating our fiscal woes. So in an effort to placate his critics, McCain will have Huckabee buckle eventually, and then and only then will the GOP 'fall into line', and I am afraid will again win this election cycle at the cost of what the GOP stands for, and what course this country will continue to take.

Sent by Platonicform | 2:06 PM ET | 02-06-2008

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