As a gutted New England Patriots fan superstitious about win streaks, this one by Senator Barack Obama over Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Party primaries to determine the nominee for the November general election is impressive by any standard.Pressure builds daily on the 800+ party elder/insider superdelegates (28 January column in this blog) to do the right thing and vote for the candidate with the most electoral delegates vs. following their personal political loyalties.

The Democratic party is in danger of both a brokered convention and eating its young.

In every state, turnout has swelled by 40%-80% with thousands of newly engaged voters coming to the polls for the first time or returning after a long absence. The Democrats have not seen anything like this candidacy since John F. Kennedy ran in 1960 against establishment candidate, Richard M. Nixon.

Going back to the end of January and South Carolina, a state that normally attracts 300,000 Democratic Party voters, more than 500,000 cast votes this year. The party is wringing its hands hoping this issue resolves itself and knows that those young and previously disenfranchised voters will leave if the nomination goes yet again to the “establishment” candidate.

Because of the Internet one can watch the entire stump speeches of both candidates vs. 10-second sound bytes. Sitting and watching a complete 43-minute speech by Senator Obama from last night means the opportunity to have the most informed electorate in our history. Watching these, full-length speeches, it is hard for even a cynic to avoid seeing the sea of multi-coloured, multi-aged faces behind the Senator as he urges us to follow what Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.”

Every poll over the last five weeks shows Republican Sen. McCain defeating Sen. Clinton while Sen. Obama defeats Sen. McCain in November. So the party has an electability issue to face with Mrs. Clinton and the added fear a fall campaign would unite a fractious Republican party against her. Too, with Al Gore and Dick Cheney on the sidelines, we are in a unique election where neither an incumbent President or figurehead party leader Vice President is on the ticket.

The Democrats invented superdelegates in the 1980s to prevent the party nominating someone who is unelectable (this was in the wake of two horrific losses by Vice President Mondale and Governor Dukakis). These delegates are the ultimate party insiders; elected officials and lifetime members of the Democratic national commitee who control 40% of the delegates needed for someone to be nominated. In the early primaries, the committed superdelegates gave Sen. Clinton a seeming insurmountable lead (indeed, despite actual election results, she still leads in this category), even though Sen. Obama had won more delegates as decided by the voters. The issue gained media traction after the Super Tuesday delegate dead heat and before this current momentum building streak by Sen. Obama.

Watching results this morning in the Wisconsin primary a few numbers jump out.

- Senator Obama is winning November electability polls over Senator Clinton 67%-33%.

- Senator Clinton lost the blue collar and white male votes in an essentially blue collar state (her base and constituencies) to the broad charismatic change appeal of Sen. Obama.

I was stunned when a year ago several respected friends quit their jobs to work on the Obama campaign. I remember another friend being invited to private fund raiser 6-years ago when a young state legislator was visiting a home in Maryland. This confident young man so inspired him that he wrote a cheque on the spot and knew then he was in the presence of someone special. It was Barack Obama running for the US Senate from the state of Illinois.

I am torn in this race because I think Senator Clinton is very bright and has the skills to run an effective administration and be a very good President. Most though are tired of the drama around this former first family. It would be nice to leave the scandals of Whitewater, Monica Lewinsky, Travelgate, Vince Foster’s suicide and the attack dogs this family brings in on the sidelines this time.

Change of this kind will help us all recover from the disastrous foreign policies of Bush and Blair and bring back the good name and standing of the USA. We are fortunate that all three candidates remaining in both parties could do that. That is what gives so many whether red or blue state in colour, a reason to be excited. The USA needs to sit again at the grown-up table.

The fat lady may not yet have sung, but she surely is warming up offstage. A loss on 4 March in Ohio and/or Texas will bring her onstage. The question is whether the Clinton’s will have the grace to stop for the good of the party as Senator Edwards did or vanity and hubris will prevail?