Between tornadoes in the South, blizzards in the Midwest and Mardi Gras in New Orleans, many people in many parts of this country would, perhaps, rather forget about Tuesday. American politics, however, will feel Tuesday’s repercussions for years to come. The following are some insights, musings, thoughts and a little advice following Tuesday night’s results.

Missouri

You narrowly avoided becoming the 2008 primary season’s version of Florida. Obviously you’re a battleground state, and whomever either party nominates is definitely going to have to put some people on the ground and spend some quality time in your state. Way to represent the Midwest. Oh – go Bearcats!

John Edwards

Your decision to drop out before Super Tuesday will probably be analyzed, reanalyzed and overanalyzed nearly as much as Bill Belichick’s decision to go for it on fourth and 13. From here on out, however, your story is nearly as interesting at Hillary’s and Barack’s. If the Democratic delegate count stays this close, you’re in a strong position to parlay your delegates into yet another run for the vice presidency. You’re about to become the most popular person in the Democratic Party. Your hair stylist is No. 2.

Mike Gravel

Give it up already, man. Most of us didn’t know you were running, and even fewer know who you are. Your tenure in the Senate ended well before most of us were even born. You did some pretty cool stuff back in the ’60s and ’70s, but if you were counting on the Vietnam War and the Pentagon Papers to propel you into the White House, you’re 30 years too late. Can’t blame you for wanting to get out of Alaska this time of year, though. Maybe crab fishing is your thing.

George W. Bush

Your $3.1 trillion budget proposal made both parties actually appreciate the fact that this is election is going on.

Mike Huckabee

Though it appears your presidential bid is in intensive care at this point, you’ve positioned yourself well for a nice office in D.C. should the Republicans manage to keep the White House in November. Vice president? We’ll see. Let’s face it: the average Republican is not going to fall in line with a guy from the same town as Bill Clinton.

Mitt Romney

You and Johnny got into it over the last couple of days, but it’s time to go serve time in the timeout corner for behaving badly. Insulting Bob Dole’s endorsement of John McCain doesn’t endear you to many people (Yes, I confess, I still have my “Vote Dole in ’96” yard sign back home). Remember Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.” You’re running the diehard conservative campaign, in the year when diehard conservatism is the kiss of death. Before W you might have made it.

There’s also something to be said for your Massachusetts roots. Between being from New England, being a multimillionaire businessman and having the religion card played on you, it all just sounds too much like the Kennedys. The last guy to run from your state was Michael Dukakis – please, spare us. Go pout in the corner for a few weeks, but please stop trashing your fellow party members.

Wolf Blitzer

You’re at your best in front of a wall of pie charts, Wolf. That telestrator thing was pretty cool too, though CNN should’ve brought in John Madden and Marv Albert to run it.

West Virginia

Way to get business done nine hours faster than everyone else. Also a great way to possibly skew later results. Mike Huckabee owes you his gratitude.

Ron Paul

It’s been real, it’s been fun, but it ain’t been real fun. I’m sorry buddy, but it’s over.

That said, you’ve given America a much-needed breath of fresh air at a time when the Constitution is on a ventilator. Who knows, perhaps a cabinet seat or a Senate run. Your filibusters would be priceless.

California

Escaping your usual electoral obscurity – most general elections are decided long before California’s polls close – your vote totals kept many in America up into the early hours of the morning. On the East Coast, anyway.

Barack Obama

The road just got a whole lot rougher. You are the un-Clinton, and you need to bill yourself as such more often. You can appeal to the moderates that Hillary and Bill can’t. It’s been a long time since America has seen a presidential candidate with your rhetorical skills – such as the ability to pronounce “nuclear” – so use them. The battle cry of the masses may yet be “Anyone but Hillary.”

The American Public

For once, we may be the real winners of the primary season. There’s still a very real chance that one or both parties could be forced to decide the nomination on the floor of the convention – something that hasn’t happened in decades. Seeing the party conventions do what they were designed to do would be a very welcome change of pace from the media-centric trumpet blowing that has become the staple of convention coverage, as well as the reason that the major networks regularly reduce their coverage of them whenever possible.

Our process – this ritual we perform every four years which endows us with our political stability in even the most precarious times – will move on. Hang in there, my fellow Americans: November is a long, important and intriguing nine months away.

– Ryan Frederick is a senior in management from Orient.