KNOWN UNKNOWNS

by RAY FLEMING
APPARENTLY, it now all depends on Indiana on May 6. And maybe on North Carolina, too, on the same day. Then Kentucky and Oregon will want to have their say on May 20, as will Puerto Rico on June 1, before Montana and South Dakota bring this extraordinary, pulsating Democratic primaries saga to a close on June 3. Thinking back over the years to some of the lacklustre candidates of both parties who have asked the electorate to make them President of the United States, it seems unfortunate for the Democrats that they should have found two such impressive characters in the same year who are having to fight each other almost to a standstill for the nomination to take on the Republican nominee Senator McCain. Every political pundit in the United States has his or her own reading of the significance of Hillary Clinton's decisive victory in Pennsylvania last Tuesday. There's general agreement that it justifies her determination to continue her campaign at least until Indiana and North Carolina make their choice ten days from now. There's also acceptance of her contention that it shows only she can win big states like California, New York and Texas. But beyond that there are countless “known unknowns”, such as who is likely to be better able to beat Senator McCain, which will never be conclusively determined until the voters speak in November. Prominent among them, is the influence of the “super delegates” -- a topic that will have to wait for another day.