According to a completely unscientific poll of RK readers, Virginia's 2/12 presidential primary WILL matter. According to the poll, 53% say it will matter for both Republicans and Democrats, with 15% saying it will mater only for Democrat and 10% only for Republicans. Just 22% say the primary won't matter for either party. That's a big change from expectations just a few weeks ago, when almost everyone assumed the nominees would be selected on or before "Tsunami Tuesday" on 2/5.
Now, with a neck-and-neck race on the Democratic side and a complete scramble on the Republican side, the chances that "Tsunami Tuesday" will decide the nominee have declined sharply. At this point, there's even speculation starting to build that we could see the first "contested convention(s)" in a long, long time. Political junkie paradise, in other words. And for Virginians who thought they wouldn't have a say in selecting their party's nominee, you might want to think again about that, because it looks like you very well might have a LOT to say after all!