It’s an Obamanation!

For the third time, Barack Obama could not close the deal with voters.

He had the momentum. He has the money and he spent it 4 to 1 over Senator Clinton. He has all of the media attention.

Even with all this, he loses the popular vote in Texas and is absolutely crushed in Ohio.

For the third time in this election cycle, Senator Clinton held off Obama and survived to fight another day. Obama could have closed this thing out in New Hampshire, but did not. Obama could have closed this thing out in California on Super Tuesday, but did not. Obama could have closed this thing out last night in Ohio, but did not.

It’s an Obamanation!

So why was Senator Obama so badly crushed in Ohio?

I think the answer is simple.

Senator Barack Obama is a typical politician and he finally looked like it.

I know the myth that has been floating around for a couple of months is that Obama is different. He is not really a politician, but an outsider.

Those of us that actually pay attention to this stuff every day actually know differently. Senator Obama is not only a typical politician, but he is a liberal one at that.

The truth finally escaped passed the swooning political pundits and out into the real world- Senator Barack Obama will do anything and say anything necessary to get elected. Barack Obama is a politician.

I believe the NAFTA problem really hurt Senator Obama in Ohio and possibly even in Texas. Obama was caught waffling on North American Free Trade Agreement. Ohio doubted Obama’s sincerity in re-negotiating NAFTA. Texas worried that Obama was sincere and this would damage their state when it comes to trade with Mexico.

Obama got smacked from both sides of this issue. Clearly, Obama’s inexperience showed when he began to talk about NAFTA. This was both a foreign policy and a domestic issue that he could not handle.

Every single positive that could have come out of last night for Republicans actually did happen.

First, we need McCain to win the nomination outright and Huckabee to drop out. This happened, giving McCain the opportunity to deal with disenchanted Republicans.

Next, we need Senator Clinton to create enough doubt in Senator Obama’s inevitable nomination, to stop the super delegates from rushing to his side. Without this onslaught of super delegates, the chances of a brokered convention become that much stronger. Even if Clinton does not win another delegate, she will legitimately be able to argue that she has enough votes on her own and if they throw in Florida and Michigan at the convention, she still has a shot to win.

Lastly, Republicans needed Senator Barack Obama to look beatable. The drubbing Obama took in Ohio proved to Republicans that he is beatable. Despite what the media has been saying for the last several months, Obama is not a god to be worshiped and revered; he is only a man.

The cracks are beginning to show in the Obama media shield. Senator Obama is so lacking in experience, that as this race goes on, Obama will become more and more damaged. The media shield could only hold up for so long, even they get tired of holding up the shield after a while.

In the next several days, Obama will win a couple of small caucuses and the campaign will attempt to pick up the momentum again. Then we have a long 6-week wait until Pennsylvania. During that 6-week time frame, the Rezko trial will be front and center.

To me, Barack Obama has proven that he cannot close the deal with Democrats. This should give every single Democrat pause as they move forward. In the general election Obama will not get three shots at winning the election. He will get one shot.

Clearly, all the Republicans have to do is create a small element of doubt in the mind of voters and Obama can and will be defeated.

For McCain, he needs to continue to reach out to conservatives. Just because he won the nomination does not mean he will win conservative votes. He will have to earn their vote.