Look, both sides are gonna claim victory out of Super Wednesday but in the end only one prevails:

The Phoenix Suns.

I gotta hand it to them - a brilliant counter trade to the Lakers' landscape-changing Pao Gasol grab. Sure, Miami unloaded a rapidly fading Shaq from their stunningly under-achieving team. A shell of his formal Diesel-ness. But can you imagine a Kobe v. Shaq Western Conference Semis? You don't think Shaq has a slight chip on his shoulder that might affect his game? You really don't think he's playing through the busted knees, back and toe like a troubled WWE Wrestler loaded on roids? Good lord.

One thing is clear: The Western Conference favorite won't be known for another few months.


************************************************************************************


Yesterday I learned a fun little fact on the fly: You can vote provisionally, but you cannot vote provisionally in another county, even in a state primary. Whoops. As you can imagine, I shared a delightful, hearty laugh with the local poll worker over that bit of news. Hilarious!

Here's the thing, though: Instead of grumbling off to work, I decided to do something nuts. I took a personal day, got in my car and drove two hours to God's Country West to my registered polling area. Guess I couldn't bear the thought of missing out on California's first decisive primary in ages. And yes, I am aware that I'm a huge dork. It couldn't have been a worse work day to miss, too. But I did it. On the drive in, 'kept listening to reports of the record 8.9 million expected to vote. No shit.

Some observations:

• Of course, Obama then proceeded to get trounced out here. I told Nameless to tell all her people to vote for Obama but I guess she didn't listen. Obama's biggest weakness isn't the experience factor. It's his inability to reach the Hispanics - the emerging U.S. ethnic power.
  
  
• That said, if he manages to beat Hillary in the primary I think they'd go his way over McCain. Obama's got a hell of an independent coalition waiting for him if he gets out of this round. I don't think the Repubs are playing mind-games when they publicly pray for Hillary in November. She packs more partisan baggage than Imelda Marcos packs shoes.
  
  
• This is turning into the Democratic Civil War of 2008 - hopefully it doesn't do serious damage in an election that's the Dem's to lose.
  
  
• I love how Planet Clinton dismisses Planet Obama as foolish, naive and unrealistic. (I'll give them that the whole "Yes We Can" thing is getting old quick.) But then they cheer Hillary with a straight face as she suddenly declares she's running against the "establishment" candidate. Wha...?
  
  
• Yes, Obama trounced Hillary in January fundraising. That doesn't make him "establishment." That makes him popular. Hillary loaned herself $5 million because she "believes in (her) campaign." That's great to hear.
  
  
• Caroline Kennedy endorsed Obama in the NYT with an editorial entitled "A President Like My Father." Hillary, not to be outdone, had other Kennedy's endorse her in the LA Times editorial the next day. It was called "Kennedys for Hillary." This sums up the Hillary problem, in a nutshell.
  
  
• Really interesting essay posted on Slate today from an outspoken 70s feminist chastising the non-Hillary vote as "sociopathic women-hating." As you can imagine, it turns into an ugly, angry rant pretty fast. Women "letting history pass them by" because there are still plenty of sexist assholes out there, because "babies are ...drowned, or suffocated, or their spines broken because they are born girls." It really brings out the worst in what should be a great moment in U.S. history. And didn't Gloria Steinem play this card a few weeks ago? Interestingly, the essay begins with "During my decades in civil-rights, anti-war, and contemporary women’s movements..." But the author doesn't even mention Hillary's Iraq vote. Hm.
  
  
• OK, sure. So there are fringe voters in every campaign. What makes this essay interesting? Apparently Chelsea's asking people to pass it around.
  
  
• If the Clinton machine wins I'll be disappointed. But then I've decided I'll happily cast my vote to help make history and elect the first female U.S. President. I'd like to see the feminazi above wrap her head around that one. So enough party infighting for tonight.
  
  
• How bout McCain? Back in J-School I had to cover a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing that McCain chaired. I was a few minutes late and tried somewhat unsuccessfully to enter discretely. McCain and I briefly made eye contact and he totally gave me the stinkeye. Seriously, screw that dude - no way he'd get my vote.
  
  
• If Hillary's the nominee, let's hope McCain's given a lot of U.S. voters the stinkeye...