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Check out this Election 2008 Fact Finder on the primaries.

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It appears politicians (or at least some of them) go Mad in March too. According to Bloomberg, Obama and McCain are picking the Heels, while Hillary passed on the question, instead deferring to her “basketball adviser”, her husband. Meanwhile, McCain actually ran his own bracket pool on his website, and Oba

(For information on volunteering in North Carolina for the Obama campaign, visit the Triangle for Obama Meetup Group (www.barackobama.meetup.com/173) or contact Carolyn Cameron @ (919) 321-2665 / carolyn-cameron@hotmail.com.)

South Carolina voters rejected the politics of division in a historic Democratic turnout. Despite the Clintons’ plan to put Obama in a black box, his strengths among white voters and independents helped him win a bi-racial landslide.

Facing a loss in South Carolina, the Clintons did their best to spring a trap on Barack Obama. Their game plan was to lower expectations for Hillary, while making an Obama victory appear meaningless. As an unnamed top Clinton adviser admitted to the Associated Press, they would paint Obama as “the black candidate” in a state where African-American voters were 47% of the Democratic primary electorate in 2004.

With John Edwards stepping out of the presidential race, the trouble the Democratic party was going to inevitably face is here now. See, for some people, Edwards was the "other guy" in the race for the nomination they could vote for and not feel like they were making a decision based on gender or race. Some think that's a crazy notion, but I beg to differ.

Now, for some in the party, it's black vs. white or men vs. women. That's not what it should be, but for some it is. Edwards offered something different. Forget about his policies and how he wants to help the less fortunate of this country. That's not what this is about. He was a "safe" option for some. You could vote for Edwards just because you liked him.

It's not his fault because this was bound to happen anyway. But Dems have to be smart now. Make educated decisions about the person you want to take on the Republican nominee. Don't go to the polls and get in the booth and ask yourself, "Am I going to vote for that woman or that black guy?" That's not how it should be. Get in the booth, think about what each person stands for and then make your decision. But make it for the right reasons.

(For information on carpooling with other Triangle residents to volunteer for the Obama campaign in South Carolina, visit the Triangle for Obama Meetup Group or call Carolyn Cameron @ (919) 454-7221. The next Triangle caravan leaves from Brier Creek Shopping Center in Raleigh on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 6 am. Obama's South Carolina webpage is www.sc.barackobama.com.)