Super Bowl and Super Tuesday: The Common Ingredient may be Surprise

Super Bowl and Super Tuesday; both seemed unpredictable. When both are over, perhaps, the common ingredient may yet prove to be surprise.

LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - This Sunday's Super Bowl game came down to the final two minutes, which produced some of the most exciting football in recent Super Bowl history.

It also produced a result which has still has many gasping. After all, the team from Massachusetts, the New England Patriots, was undefeated. They were the odds on favorite to win.

This Tuesdays 'National Primary', the event called "Super Tuesday" may be just as close and unpredictable as this weekend's football championship game.

In a Primary campaign which will be remembered as one of the most unpredictable in recent election history, the Republican candidates were fighting it out down to the wire, in what amounts to the last two minutes of political play.

There was a final joust of words and endorsements.

Senator John McCain added to his stable of recognizable conservative supporters Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss and former Presidential candidate Steve Forbes, known for his advocacy of fiscal conservatism and the "flat tax".

Governor Romney, who is now presenting himself as the "true conservative" in the race, added Senator Rick Santorum, a strong voice for the unborn.

However, both of the candidates proclaim their pro-life convictions. Both have included in their growing number of endorsements, pro-life heroes.

Senator Sam Brownback endorsed John McCain.

The key difference on this issue is time. Senator Mccain regularly points to his career long support of the unborn. Governor Romney acknowledges his change on the issue is relatively recent.

Most observers and pollsters note that the presence of the "Big Mo", the much coveted political momentum, seems to favor the candidate from Arizona, whom some are beginning to call the "Big Mac", John McCain.

The margin of McCain's lead in most credible polls continues to grow. He is speaking as though his emergence out of the "Super Tuesday" contests as the front runner is inevitable.

McCain campaigned in former Massachusetts Governor Romney's back yard as if to send a signal to his rival that he would cede no ground.

At historic Faneuil Hall, he once again underscored his conservative credentials; a repeated effort intended to counter the drumbeats of conservative talk radio hosts who have tried to derail the rising McCain momentum.

The Romney camp is determined to paint McCain as 'unreliable' in his conservative credentials.

Governor Romney has admitted to having changed his views on the life issue, and on some other issues of concern to many voters. However, with his growing number of pro-life endorsements, it appears that many believe the change to be genuine.

Clearly, Governor Romney's metamorphosis to being the 'conservative candidate' is complete. He tells the sizeable crowds at most stops, "We don't want Senator McCain; we want a conservative." The implication is that Mccain is not a conservative.

However, the Senator from Arizona will have none of it. Like the Eveready Bunny, McCain just keeps on going and going and going.

At his stump speeches he also addresses another of his favorite themes, oriented toward the general election, his ability to reach beyond the Republican Party.

He used it in Massachusetts, telling the sizeable crowd: "As president of the United States, I will preserve my proud conservative Republican credentials, but I will reach across the aisle and work together for the good of this country."

The third horse in the race, on the Republican side, Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, pledges to remain in the race until the convention.

With his own whirlwind campaign sprint, the marathoner continued to energetically attack Mitt Romney for his efforts to convince him to withdraw "for the good of the Conservative movement."

He told his supporters that he is in it to win. Huckabee is clearly pro-life and an ardent supporter of marriage and family issues.

He has attracted a growing cross section of support but has suffered from Press efforts to marginalize him as an "evangelical" candidate. He suffered relentless attacks over the last two months similar to those now levied against McCain, for not being a "true conservative."

On the Democratic side, the same kind of close race has unfolded, to the surprise of many so called "experts". It has also captivated the interest of the American public. Both Senators Obama and Clinton went to the Northeast before Super Tuesday, a region rich in delegates for the Democratic convention.

Senator Obama appeared in the Meadowlands, in New Jersey, right next door to the stadium home of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Appearing along with him on the stage were several prominent members of the Kennedy family, Sen. Ted Kennedy his niece, Caroline Kennedy. However, they were joined by Maria Shriver this weekend. The popular and high profile wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, endorsed Barack Obama on Sunday.

Her husband, Governor Schwarzenegger of California had endorsed John McCain this past weekend as well.

California's first lady told a large crowd, "I thought to myself when I woke up this morning ... there's no place I should be but right here today."

She continued, saying of the Illinois Senator, that Obama, "is about the power of us, and what we can do when we come together. Because as everybody up here has said, there is much more that unites us than divides us." Along with her on the paltform stood Oprah Winfrey and music legend Stevie Wonder.

"Super Tuesday" has become an amazing contest in the Political field of both major Parties.

The event was created as a result of the front end loading of the primary campaigns in many States this past year. It will bring Democratic contests in 22 states (and American Samoa) and Republicans contests in 21 states. 19 of the States hold primaries for both parties.

The delegates chosen on "Super Tuesday" will consist of almost 50 % of all delegates to be chosen. The stakes are high.

The selected delegates will then be sent to the National conventions for each party. they will be held in August and September. It is at those conventions that the final nominee of each party will be chosen. They will then face one another in the 2008 Presidential campaign.

Super Bowl and Super Tuesday; both seemed unpredictable.

When both are over, perhaps, the common ingredient may yet prove to be surprise.

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