Who layed out this primary route?

If I hadn't seen this presidential election unfold myself, I would barely believe the progress so far.

In a wide open election year, where the Democrat Party seems to have such a clear path to victory, things don't seem to have gone as planned. Not that the Republicans have faired much better.

Neither party (at least at this point) is poised to nominate a candidate which their most loyal political base of voters would prefer. On the Republican side, John McCain is seen as more of a traitor than a friend in conservative circles, regardless of the contrast between himself and the candidates the Democrats are running. Beyond his firm stance with regard to the war in Iraq, there's not much to get excited about, considering his support for the global warmist hoax through "cap and trade" policies, among other questionable economic proposals. In fact, here on the homefront, his presidency might do more harm to our economy and individual liberty than Bush's governmental expansions. Even where there is shared ideological common ground, there is a lack of measurable active support for issues which most conservatives take very seriously.

On the other side of the spectrum, Hillary Clinton, who is leading in the popular vote tally, and has also won majorities of delegates in states like California, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, which are populated by the most loyal base of the Democrat Party, appears to be on the losing side of the nominating process to an inexperienced, 1st term US Senator, with serious, though late-discovered, flaws. Though neither has conceded, if as predicted, Sen. Obama secures the nomination, it's going to be a very interesting general election race.

Pundits on both sides are really trumpeting the notion that the base on either side will come out to support their parties' respective candidates, regardless of the fact that they did not do so in the primary, simply to keep the other side from winning.

Truthfully, while the purported policy positions of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton do not differ significantly from one another, and therefore do not create an ideological divide that is insurmountable for opposition voters, on the Republican side, the divide is a deep chasm that John McCain will have to bridge.

Once Obama has the opportunity to restate his policy positions, which he will point out, is ultimately what is being voted on, perhaps questions about his personal ideology, which came to the forefront through the Jeremiah Wright affair will get glossed over in many Democrat minds. While it is true that Obama lacks the experience to manage such an unwieldy bureacracy as the federal government, and implement his policies effectively, his oratory skill gives him significant advantage in the perception department.

Unfortunately, I think, rather than focusing on the strengths of their candidate, the Republican party will try to energize their conservative base by turning the focus of attention on the weaknesses of their opposition. This has not necessarily been shown to be a winning strategy, unless a major outright disqualification can be demonstrated - the difficulty of such a task having been demonstrated in Bill Clinton's second term election.

So, even though neither party's base seems to be to happy with their nominee at this point; the distance of the ideological divide those nominees must bridge to win back that base, just may be the difference in November.