What Stood Out This Week - 2/24-3/1

It was really all about the buildup to the week that's coming, but let's see What Stood Out This Week...

The Republicans

John McCain's lobbyist troubles are over, if media attention is any indication. That story went away quickly. All I can remember about McCain from this week is that he decided to take a stronger stance on immigration and border control in order to shore up the racist vote.

Mike Huckabee, still in the race, appeared on Saturday Night Live and out-stayed his welcome there. Get it?

The Democrats

Tina Fey endorsed Hillary Clinton on SNL, exclaiming that yes, Hillary's a bitch, but bitches get things done. There was also a sketch featuring how debate moderators fawn all over Obama and then nail Hillary with the tough questions.

The sketch was fine and even pretty funny, but Hillary opted to mention it during the actual debate, complaining that she's always the first to answer and next they'd be offering Obama a pillow. Poor Hillary. It's almost like she can't set the tone and frame the terms of the debate when she's asked the first question.

Barack Obama ignored that part of things and responded to the question. He really does seem to have this ability to stay above the bullshit, which makes him look awfully solid.

Meanwhile Obama is outspending Hillary two-to-one (and sometimes three-to-one) on TV in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont, which all go to the polls on Tuesday. As the Times put it (if I remember right), he's going for the knockout punch.

I really don't like candidate TV ads, and it sucks that the winning candidate is also almost always the one with the most money (Mitt Romney being the hilarious exception to the rule). I hate that money buys our elections. You can tell me all you want that Obama's getting his donations from everyday people in small amounts, blah, blah, blah, but it still sucks that it comes down to money and not ideas. And I feel that way even when the candidate I prefer is in the ideal buying position.

So the conventional wisdom says that if Hillary doesn't win--and win big--in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday, the election is essentially over. I say never underestimate the Clinton Machine. There were rumblings this week about Hillary's campaign suing the state of Texas to change how they vote before Tuesday (it is admittedly convoluted) because the caucus portion of things plays way into Obama's strengths. Her campaign may also still push for delegate seating of Michigan and Florida, even though Obama wasn't on the ballot in Michigan and didn't campaign in Florida. And their effort to woo superdelegates is powerful. The Clinton Machine is one that hates losing. Don't count it out until Hillary officially concedes.

No matter what happens, this week will be a big one, dear B&E readers, so stay tuned! (As if you had a choice in the matter.)