Double Digits and Then Some

[UPDATED]
I don't know if there's in particular wrong with Blogger tonight, but it's taken me some time to get on, so by necessity I'm going to have to keep this short again tonight. It's been two whole days since we've had any nominating contests, and people must've been getting antsy. Obama was expected to do well, but I'm not sure anyone expected him to actually move toward absolute obliteration. Was Virginia or Maryland supposed to be Hillary's best chance today? I can't find an actual citation at the moment, but my memory was that Virginia would be more closely watched. Well, it turns out that Maryland actually provided the closest margin: Obama only defeated Hillary by 23 percentage points there (as of 82 percent of precincts reporting). Virginia awarded Obama with a 28 percent margin of victory, 64 percent to 35 percent. That means, of course, that Hillary barely pulled in just a bit more than a third of the voters. No one had any doubt that Obama would do well in the District, but three to one? Although Hillary's not flinching (at least not yet), Obama's growing momentum is becoming more and more of a problem for her. Adam Nagourney nails the situation:

The lopsided nature of Senator Barack Obama’s parade of victories on Tuesday gives him an opening to make the case that Democratic voters have broken in his favor and that the party should coalesce around his candidacy.

In waiting for the March contests in Texas and Ohio, Hillary needs to make sure she doesn't fall into the Giuliani strategy--keep losing until the party coalesces around you.

UPDATE--I hadn't seen this when I wrote my final sentence above. The Clinton people must be quaking in their boots. Rudy's campaign manager says Hillary's aim of putting all her eggs in the Texas and Ohio baskets is exactly the right strategy.