Two things struck me about yesterday's primary results. The first is that there are serious fractures in the makeup of the Republican party. The other is that the Democratic race is much more evenly matched than anyone expected it to be even two weeks ago.

There is no doubt that John McCain has emerged as the front-runner in the Republican nominating process. Barring an unforeseen disaster he should lock up the nomination over the next month.

Follow up:

The picture is much more confused on the Democratic side. The news media is pushing the idea of an evenly matched race. The delegate count shows that the two are in a dead heat. The media loves a close race, just as sports announcers love a close game. I think this desire for a close race is obscuring the true picture that emerged yesterday.

Two weeks ago, all of the polls showed Hillary Clinton with a double-digit lead in the national polls. Obama closed that gap over a two week period leading up to Super Tuesday. He showed true strength and appeal in varying demographics and has emerged as a serious candidate. I see no reason to think that this momentum will fade. If I were in the Clinton camp I would be seriously worried today.

Obama made a solid showing in the South and in the West. How many pollsters were predicting Obama to carry states like Kansas or North Dakota, much less Missouri or Minnesota? This shows that he can appeal to all Americans.

Obama's appeal crosses all lines - race, religion, and age. His message of hope and change moves almost everyone who hears him speak. This message will be spread even more over the next few weeks.

There were some areas of concern for the Obama camp. The losses in Massachusetts and New Jersey were somewhat troubling, although the New Jersey loss wasn't unexpected. Neither of those losses is the major concern, however. The biggest concern is the loss in California.

What concerns me most is the differential in the Latino vote in California. This could be a decisive vote block in the full election. McCain has positioned himself as an advocate for liberal style immigration reform. He could pull many Latino votes in the general election. Obama obviously has to work harder to get his message out to the Latino community.

This isn't only a concern for the general election. It will also come into play in the Texas primary. This is one of the most important states left on the primary calendar.

The Clinton campaign seems to be focusing on Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. If Obama can win one or more of those states and win the states he is already expected to win he should be able to secure the nomination. I believe momentum is on his side, despite the Clinton campaign's refusal to accept the 'm' word.

The next month should prove to be the most interesting nominating process I've ever seen. And, at sixty years of age, I've seen a few.

Obama/Edwards 2008? Obama/Clinton 2008? Obama/Richardson 2008?

Only time will tell.