Sorry for the rough title, but it is politics and all, and with all the slinging, I'd hate to think it's only mud.

Why am I happy? Let me count the ways.

2.8 million people voted for Texas' 128 primary delegates. And 110 thousand voted for Texas' 67 caucus delegates. That means a primary delegate represents 22,000 voters while a caucus delegate counts the same but represents only 1650 people - the same day, the same state. Can we now say definitively that caucuses suck, whether they "build party morale" or not? No one got to vote early for a caucus. They either made it or didn't - and obviously most didn't, say about 2.7 million primary voters.

Why else happy? Hillary fought back a 2nd time against the press (perhaps a 3rd if we include the Chris Mathews hug). And she won. Yes, it can be done. And while some were scoffing about whether her "knows how to fight back" claim was empty bluster, she did it.

Third one - she came back. After a month of Obama "inevitableness", the inevitable one took a dive. Of course he's not out, not even in 2nd place. But a whole list of nonsense falls to the side - that Hillary doesn't know how to campaign or organize, that "the more people know her, the less they like her", that she should just quit.

#4 is kinda like #2 and #3 - she fought back - against defeat and against the media. She didn't Just Give Up (tm). So maybe she or Obama (or both) will fight back against McCain. And the press. And the Republican machine. And keep fighting on into the next Presidency to actually get something done. Okay, maybe too optimistic, but I have a dream that one day Democrats will grow a spine, and this may be the first vestigial appearance.

The fifth? Never again will this female's candidacy be seen as a lark, undeserved, given to someone with no skills, no political ability. Hillary did a double bank shot when things got tough, and while she may not go on to clear the table, she's going to finish out the contest and still may win. She is a pro. While she certainly had some help, like everyone running for President, she did it foremost on her own ability, her own persuasion, her own direction. Certainly not as a gift from her husband, the party, the press, the political machine - the latter 3 seemingly more infatuated with Obama. Whatever happens from here on out, or next election, or the one after, we now know that a woman can be a true contender for President. And considering woman make up almost 3/5th of the people voting, that's a helluva step.

And why am I not happy? Obama has been winged, perhaps seriously damaged, both due to his own problems and because of the turn of the vicious press. And I certainly don't want McCain in as President - not just because he's tainted and a bad candidate and flawed policies, but also because he would enable the whole Republican machine to keep up its dirty work, and he certainly doesn't have the moral courage to put it down. So this is not complete Schadenfreude - while I certainly enjoyed seeing some wind taken out of Obama's sails, I don't want to see the Democratic Party (or in principle us, the American people) damaged. We'll see what happens. But for now, 5 pluses with 1 minus is enough to keep me smiling.