George W Bush Wins Super Tuesday
McCain Withdraws from the Primary

Vote counting has just finished in the “Super Tuesday” presidential primary, involving 13 states. Today’s results have put Al Gore and George W Bush beyond serious reach in their bids to win their respective party nominations. Next Tuesday, voting in a further 6 states will put these outcomes almost beyond doubt (next Tuesday’s contests include Bush’s home state of Texas).

To win the respective primaries, each candidate must win a majority of the delegate positions for their National Conventions.

* Bush now has 62% of the delegateships he needs to win the Republican primary. To win the Republican primary, a contender needs to win 1,034 delegates. Bush currently has 639 spots, while his closest rival John McCain has 210.

* Al Gore has 60% of the delegateships he needs to win the Democrat primary. He has 1,294 delegates and needs a total of at least 2,170.

Republican                Tonights        New Cumulative
Candidates                Results          Totals
George Bush                424                639
John McCain               105                 210
Steve Forbes                   2
Alan Keyes                      1

Democrat                   Tonights       New Cumulative
Candidates                 Results        Totals
Al Gore                        812               1,294
Bill Bradley                    323               380

Turnout was at high levels this year. California's primary drew the largest numbre of voters since 1976, while Michigan doubled the previous turnout from 1996. In some states, such increases can be explained by a shift to "open primaries" - allowing voters of all political persuasions to select the party candidates. But there were also increased turnouts in those primaries where only registered Republicans and Democrats could vote. Much of the interest can be attributed to the excitement created by the unusual challenges from Senators McCain and Bradley - one a former prisoner of war and the other a former sports celebrity.

Click here to see the victory speech by Governor George W Bush.

Postscript:

Bradley and McCain Drop Out::

As counting closed on Super Tuesday Bradley was expected to withdraw from the Democrat contest within a week or two. His campaign has been less combative in the last few weeks, making the Democrats seem less divided. This has allowed Gore to launch early into an attack on Bush. On 9 March, just two days after his Super Tuesday defeat, Bradley officially withdrew. An hour later, McCain followed.

Many commentators had expected McCain to battle on longer, despite the division it was causing within Republican ranks. However on the same day that Bradley pulled out, McCain also made an honourable withdrawal. The Republican establishment had mobilised around Bush in 1999 in the hope that he would win the primary easily and early, giving the party a strong challenger against the Democrats. But instead the protracted fight against McCain has weakened Bush. Of $73 million raised by Bush by last month, he is estimated to have under $10 million remaining. Gore has cut his planned spending after early wins against Bradley, leaving him in early March in a stronger financial position than Bush.

As Bradley withdrew, he endorsed Gore, but did not signal any repair of their relationship. Bradley blamed his defeat on nasty tactics by Gore: "There was distortion and nagativity, I will continue to be very direct about that" he said. Commentators and Bradley advisers have explained the Senator's demise by pointing to his belated criticism of Gore's scandalous fund-raising activities. After Bradley had been defeated in New Hampshire, it was too difficult to put the "integrity" issue on the agenda, without Bradley looking desparate or without the issue seeming contrived.

McCain has technically "suspended" his presidential bid, leaving open the remote possibility of resuming the battle if some extraordinary events were to ever bring down Bush. Whereas Bradley's momentum faltered before the crucial New Hampshire primary, McCain stumbled much later. Critics explain McCain's demise by reference to his attack on religious leaders. McCain's outburst against prominent evangalists contradicted the inclusive image which he had been cultivating.

Bush and Gore are now both earnestlis now crassly comparing himself to McCain in interviews, beginning sentences with the words "Like John McCain ...". But when it comes to policy, it is Bush that offers the hope of reform - reforming schools, taxes and the military. Gore meanwhile has all the stains of old politics - he is responsible for unethical fundraising activities, has backflipped on abortion, and has spend eight years as the side-kick to President Clinton.