Stupor Tuesday

And apparently, that’s just what the architects of the 2012 nomination process wanted.

On Super Tuesday this time around, just 20 percent of the available delegates will be in play. In 2008, more than 50 percent were allotted on that single day. Plus, with more states now having proportional division of delegates rather than winner-take-all, no candidate will be remotely close to the 1,144 needed to clinch the nomination. Not even close enough to scare anyone out of the race…

Normally, just three weeks separates the big day from the New Hampshire primary; this time, there’s an eight-week gap (and about 300 debates that changed the landscape almost daily).

So, no freedom just yet. Instead, there’ll be months more of a grueling campaign — and months more of the same old gruel.