An election like no other

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Obama: 'Invading Iraq was a bad strategic blunder. I am proud that I opposed this war from the start' McCain: 'The transcendent issue of the 21st century is the struggle against radical Islamic extremism' Clinton: 'I was one who supported giving President Bush the authority, if necessary, to use force against Saddam Hussein. I believe that that was the right vote'

WHILE JOHN MCCAIN seems to have wrapped up the Republican presidential nomination, Super Tuesday did nothing to determine which of the two historic Democratic hopefuls will prevail. Hillary Clinton held off a surge by Barack Obama by winning eight states, including California, to Obama's 13, setting up a protracted fight for the nomination that could last until August's Democratic National Convention in Denver. Though she saw double-digit leads in most of the big states evaporate, the former first lady still managed to pull off significant victories and even won Massachusetts by 15 points -- despite Obama's endorsement by senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. Clinton won easily in her adopted home state of New York, besting Obama 57 to 40 per cent. Obama won his home state of Illinois by 34 points.

Clinton's advisers admitted her slight lead in the overall delegate count was thanks to her support from "super delegates" -- party officials not subject to proportional voting. Clinton won heavy support from women and Hispanics, while Obama has locked up the black vote. If Obama maintains his momentum, he will likely win the nomination, though it will be a race to the wire, unlike the Republican contest, after McCain won nine states, including California and the Northeast, to take a commanding lead despite his unpopularity among most Republicans, unhappy with his views on immigration, tax cuts and campaign finance reform. As the Democratic nominee is predicted to win against him, there promises to be at least a cosmetic change in the White House, with either the first woman president or the first black president in US history. The Democrats are also poised to increase their hold on the Senate and Congress, making a clean sweep possible for the first time since Bill Clinton won in 1992.

None of the candidates differs significantly on US Middle East policy: they all vow to keep troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, to strongly support Israel, and to deny Palestinians the right to return, though McCain distinguishes himself with his fierce anti-Islamic rhetoric.