3 Takes on Today's Showdown

March 4 has been a long time coming, and now political writers can’t be bothered to wait until the polls close in Ohio and Texas. Three early takes on today’s results:

• Josh Marshall sees a late-in-the-game turn in Hillary Clinton’s favor, and expects “minor or major crowing” from her camp tonight. Barack Obama's aura has become so bright that Clinton may come out with a net delegate loss and still get “a major shot in the arm.”

• Noam Scheiber is sure the Canada-NAFTA kerfuffle has ruled out an Obama win in Ohio. He says Clinton victories would ensure a fight that lasts until April 22. But the likeliest scenario, a split decision, will leave her flouting the will of the media and party elders and staying in the race.
• E.J. Dionne says Clinton must be shocked to be in such a losing position, planning for years for a “showdown” with “a white guy.” She would easily have out-lefted a moderate or taken on a reformer by rallying the establishment—but there was no anticipating Obamamania.

(More Hillary Clinton stories.)