The key to the Democratic nomination may come down to the Keystone State, and many are hoping it will. The outcome of the Pennsylvania primary on April 22^nd means a lot for the current contenders to the nomination: Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Senator Clinton knows that this primary can be the end to her hard-fought and persistent campaign. Even if she acquires victory in this state, a close margin between the two candidates will give her a sign that staying in the race will have more negative consequences to the Democratic Party than possible personal gains.

Recent polls show that Clinton is losing her large lead in the state. Although her base supporters of older voters and women seem to still heavily favor the New York Senator, Obama is gaining support of white male voters. Recent polls show Clinton (50%) leading Obama (44%) by a smaller margin than polls conducted last week. Obama’s gain may be due in part to the three million dollars spent on television campaign ads, triple the amount Clinton spent in the state.

Current fighting and competition within the Democratic nomination is giving Republican nominee Senator John McCain an advantage. Over the last few weeks polls suggest the lead of either democratic candidate is falling against the Republican nominee. The Republican Party is hoping this fight will continue as long as possible, in which the Democrats are criticizing themselves rather than McCain. Senators Clinton and Obama have obviously noticed this effect in their recent attempts to shift attention away from each other. Clinton began attacking McCain’s economic policy while Obama has gone after McCain’s maverick policy regarding the Iraq War.

Some people have encouraged Senator Clinton to drop out of the race, but the reason it is a democratic race means that anyone with enough support, money, and drive to attempt the nomination has a right to do so. Clinton said that claiming her defeat when it is not inevitable is like “calling the results of the [NCAA] Championship two minutes early because someone was ahead” and we all know that isn’t how the game ended. Clinton makes a valid point. It is up to the voters in upcoming primaries to vote for whom they think will not only be the best president but have the best chance of winning. Right now, it is anyone’s game. With large states such as Pennsylvania and the potential inclusion of Florida, Clinton does still have a chance at gaining a larger popular vote. But it will be a tough fight which can hurt the party’s unity. The Democratic Party is hoping that it doesn’t come down to superdelegates, whose decision may anger a large portion of voters.

With the general election in November, candidates have a long time in the world of politics. Anything can happen between now and the presidential election to diminish McCain’s recent poll gains. But the sooner a Democratic candidate is decided, the more time there will be for the party to unite around one person rather than divide between both Senators Clinton and Obama. Pennsylvania may not be the end of the road if Clinton manages a significant victory, but the date in which a Democratic nominee is chosen is not going to happen until at least April 22^nd.

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