(Portland, Oregon)
Think Joe Frazier and Mohammed Ali. They split the first two fights; they split the first 12 rounds of bout number three. There are three rounds left: June 1 in Puerto Rico and June 3 in South Dakota and Montana.
Tonight it was a split decision, again! Sen. Hillary Clinton won the Kentucky primary, 65 percent to 30 percent. But, Sen. Barack Obama won the Oregon primary, 58 to 42 percent. As of tonight, Obama has now gained a majority of the pledged delegates, which he believes makes him the all-but-certain nominee. The Clinton team is not giving up, with campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe saying, "This thing goes on. I don't know why people say it's over. It's another 2 to 1 victory tonight in Kentucky"
You'd have a hard time convincing the Obama campaign rally in Portland tonight. The crowd went wild when CNN projected Obama the winner, shortly after 8 p.m. Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer spoke to the hundreds gathered, saying that the Sunday rally that approached 70,000 here was the clincher for Obama. "It was the largest rally in the country for any candidate," said Blumenauer. "We've got 1.6 million people who financed this campaign," he added. 
Despite all the euphoria, I spoke with former Gov. Barbara Roberts (D-OR), who offered a more sobering outlook. "All the enthusiasm we feel tonight has to start tomorrow morning, and the day after, and the day after that," Roberts said. At 71, Roberts is a lifelong pol who has seen the Democratic Party's enthusiasm in the spring fade by the fall election. She cautioned against that tonight. Whether the Obama legions heeds her advice remains to be seen. "This is the first time in 40 years our votes mattered," she said of Oregon's role in the 2008 presidential primary.Governor Roberts told supporters they should even forego their summer vacations to work on the Obama campaign. That's when Huma Pierce, a 33-year-old local chiropractor, shouted out, "We can't afford the gas (for a vacation)" and the crowd erupted in laughter.
Later when I spoke with Pierce, her reasoning for supporting Obama was bereft of any humor at all. "I just can't afford my father's health insurance," she said, "He has Parkinson's." Pierce's father is 73, and she supports Obama's plan for national health care for him and others like him. On a lighter note, I will continue my popular columns of great food stops on the campaign trail. Look for my review of the legendary "Jake's Crawfish and Seafood" later on Wednesday. Thursday John McCain campaigns in Northern Califronia and we'll have more on that.
Speaking of Wednesday. I will be "live" with Ross McGowan on KTVU's "Mornings on Two" at 7:45.
Check in often at www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com.
Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food.
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