8 Questions That Today's Primaries Could Answer

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Explaining the Texas Two-Step Voting Process

KPRC-TV's Mary Benton explains Texas' two-step Democratic primary election process, and why it could mean the difference between winning or losing for Clinton and Obama in the state.

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Clinton's Ohio events have been heavily populated with women and her support among women in economically hard-pressed households looks to be holding. The question is how much Obama can cut into her support among white men in those households.

One Democratic strategist noted that the Clintons have a huge advantage among these voters because they have made the economy the heart of their message since Bill Clinton first ran for president in 1992 and, in Ohio in particular, the economic issue dwarfs all others. "It is the one and maybe only area where her association and ties to Bill Clinton help her," one strategist noted. "Clinton is to the economy what Russia is to caviar."

Will Obama crack the Hispanic vote?

6. Texas will be the big test of whether Obama, after 11 straight victories, can begin to show real strength among Hispanic voters. Clinton has owned this constituency in virtually every contest this year.

She began with a big head start because of her experience in South Texas in 1972 when she registered voters on behalf of George S. McGovern's presidential campaign. She knows the region and the community and has had a big lead among Hispanics in recent polling.

Obama, however, is seeking to do with the Hispanic community what he has done generally, which is to energize the younger generation and work out from there. There's little likelihood that he will come close to Clinton among Hispanics, and he probably doesn't need to if his numbers with other groups are strong.

But Democrats know that Sen. John McCain is better positioned than any other Republican who ran this year to compete for the Hispanic vote in November and that they need a nominee who generates excitement and enthusiasm in the Latino community. Obama has yet to prove he's that person.

Will McCain persuade Huckabee to quit?

7. McCain needs 1,191 delegates to win the nomination and is poised to reach that number today. He has 1,014 delegates, according to the Associated Press, and the four states voting today will have 256 to award. He'll claim the nomination with his victory speech.

Several strategists predicted the end for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee would come after the results from Texas are tallied. "The Huck will suspend after Texas," predicted GOP strategist Mike Murphy said. "He's tired of being the star forward of the Washington Generals against the McCain Globetrotters."

Others are baffled by his continued presence. "Who knows why Huckabee is really still in the race, so that makes it tough to know what will get him to drop out," wrote Democrat Jamal Simmons.

Most important is the fact that McCain doesn't seem to care what Huckabee does. He's focused on locking up more endorsements, making the transition from a primary campaign message to a general-election message, raising money as fast as he can and attacking Obama.

Can you explain the Texas voting system?

8. Very simple, really. By day, Texas conducts a primary, open to all comers. When the polls close tonight, the Democrats will hold caucuses in 8,000 sites around the state, open to anyone who participated in the primary. The primary will award two-thirds of the delegates, the caucuses the rest.

The real question is whether this system, dubbed the Texas two-step, makes any sense. The Clintons, who by now have a deep aversion to all things caucus-related, have expressed their unhappiness with the system.

Some strategists dislike it: "Ordinary people don't have time for both," said one. "Neither justifiable or understandable," said another. "What a racket!" wrote a third. "If they knew the state mattered, they would have changed it."

But many others defended it, noting that the Democratic National Committee, which includes many Clinton loyalists, had approved it. "The Texas system is great," wrote one. "It's been the same system for many, many years," noted another. "Everyone who paid attention, or did their homework, knew the rules."