Why Indiana Matters

You could call it a tie-breaker.

After Hillary won PA, she has a new - though small - lease on life. She's proven that she has a good hold on the white, working class voters, and dominated in rural Pennsylvania.

Now the campaigns move on to Indiana, where it is a must win for Clinton. Clinton has moved closer to Obama's lead, but remains a long way off - in fact it's almost impossible for her to catch up (see The Math, below).

But Indiana will be a test. If Clinton performs well, she has more ammunition to attract the super delegates to her camp. If Obama wins, he has the better hand, and will likely force Hillary to drop out (however, my guess is Hillary will run until 2012 without stopping - regardless of the numbers).

Both Indiana and North Carolina will vote on May 6th. Obama is expected to win NC - and a landslide win could be a deal breaker. However, if Clinton is able to keep it close in NC AND win Indiana, she'll hold onto that life-vest a little bit longer.

So - Indiana - of all places - could potentially decide who will be the democratic nominee.

Cross your fingers this thing will finally end... but don't hold your breath.