New predicted matchup: McCain vs. Obama

In tonight's Beltway/Chesapeake/Potomac/Capital Primaries...John McCain and Barack Obama came away with victories.

In Virginia, Mike Huckabee had the early edge thanks to religious conservatives in rural areas who don't realize that abortion and gay marriage are not issues worth talking about in this election; we only use the plank to appease those who otherwise would not elect a fiscally conservative or military-friendly Republican. My advice to rural evangelicals: the economy and Iraq are the big issues now, get over it.

But the victory for McCain can be credited to three places: the military communities in the Hampton Roads area as well as the Richmond area, but most importantly victory can be credited to the suburbs of Washington, D.C. To those in Northern Virginia who live in the cozy confines of affluent suburbia which tend towards the Tom Davis/John Warner variety of elephant bully pulpits (my term for top-tier GOP officials), we salute you.

Of course, for the Democrats victory goes to Barack Obama, whose message translated into wins across almost every metropolitan area in the Commonwealth. Only Southwest Virginia - Rep. Rick Boucher's slice of the state -- went to Hillary Clinton.

Obama also scored wins tonight in Maryland and the District of Columbia. John McCain did the same thing on the GOP side -- with less stress since Huckabee's social conservatism does not play well in the nation's capital -- or Maryland.

And it appears we'll have one or two more open seats. In Maryland's CD-4 (most of Prince George's County), Al Wynn is just about on his way out. Donna Edwards will be the new Congresswoman in what is a heavily African-American -- albeit strongly Democratic -- suburban Washington district.

And we could see a new congressman in CD-1, which George W. Bush won with 62% of the vote in 2004. This is a pretty much safe Republican district save a strong Democrat effort. But Wayne Gilchrest is essentially the Ron Paul of the Northeast, and unlike coastal Texans who are proudly Libertarian to an extent, Gilchrest is a tad more liberal than Paul in a number of ways. Right now, it is down to Maryland State Senator Andy Harris, who is now barely leading Gilchrest.

The election is looking rather interesting. More updates as they come.

P.S. The Writers' strike has just ended, a relief we can all enjoy. Now I can look forward to my favorite shows once again.