Clinton, Obama Hope for Knockout in Ohio and Texas Primary Results

For Senator Hillary Clinton, today’s primaries could well be the jolt her campaign has needed to get back on track. After a string of eleven losses, today is, in some ways, D-day for the former First Lady, though as recently as last night she claimed she was ‘just warming up.’Wins in Texas and Ohio could not only bolster support from Clinton’s loyal base of supporters but also reinforce the support of the anxious superdelegates who have already thrown their support behind her campaign, which has seemed to flounder in recent weeks.Similarly, a pair of victories for Clinton tonight would also send a message to the general electorate that she is the candidate who can carry the big states.So far Senator Clinton has won all the major Democratic prizes, with the exception of Senator Obama’s home state of Illinois. If she wins Texas and Ohio, the Clinton campaign will surely make the case that their candidate is the strongest nominee. This will especially be the case if, as expected, Senator Clinton wins Ohio, which is a historically pivotal state in every general election.Given that no Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio and that the only Democrats to win Ohio since 1900 have been Bill Clinton (twice), Jimmy Carter, Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman and Woodrow Wilson, whichever candidate wins the contest there today will be due bragging rights for their electability in a general election.On the Obama side, while many have called today the Alamo for Senator Clinton, it is also a crucial day for the junior Senator from Illinois.