Signs of political change blowing in wind

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

A small, lonely sign bending in the breeze caught my attention yesterday as I waited for a traffic light to change at a busy Northern Virginia intersection.

It read: "Obama 2008." Driving a block farther, I noted a poster for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.

With only two weeks to go until the Potomac River Primary, in which voters in Maryland, Virginia and the District will cast their ballots, that single campaign sign supporting the bid of Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois for the Democratic presidential nomination was an indication that soon the country's eyes will turn to our region.

"Given how muddled things are, the 12th may be huge," said Michael Fauntroy, assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University, speaking about the local primaries Feb. 12. "I don't think when Maryland and Virginia decided to have their primaries on the same day they knew the impact it might have."

Mr. Fauntroy, as well as other political commentators and analysts, are predicting that the Super Tuesday primary a week earlier will not determine the presidential nominee, at least among Democrats.

"When half the states have had a contest, then each primary takes on an added significance," Mr. Fauntroy said. "They are roughly split on delegates ... and it's still a close race."

Talking about close races closer to home, Mr. Fauntroy said the heightened Obama buzz after his South Carolina primary victory over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina may have unintended influence and consequence on one hotly contested rematch in Maryland's 4th Congressional District between incumbent Democratic Rep. Albert R. Wynn and challenger Donna F. Edwards.

"The primary for Al Wynn's seat is very heated," Mr. Fauntroy noted. "Mr. Obama is running on 'change,' and if that message resonates with enough voters, and the turnout grows because of Obama, then [Donna] Edwards is the beneficiary of that" because Mr. Wynn "represents the status quo." Mr. Wynn, seeking his ninth term in the district, which covers most of Prince George's County and a part of Montgomery County, faces five challengers, including Ms. Edwards, who lost to him by about 3,000 votes in 2006.

The best news about this year's presidential campaign for both parties is that it was not decided early by two states whose populations do not represent the microcosm of American society as we do here.

Our region's voters are slowly showing signs that they can't wait for Feb. 12 to arrive, judging from calls and electronic notices coming into my mailboxes, including one for a Saturday fundraiser in Arlington given by Black Women for Barack Obama.