Primary election was a triumph for democracy

SEN. BARACK OBAMA lost the Pennsylvania primary, but his energetic campaign certainly helped make democracy a winner.

Ditto for Sen. Hillary Clinton and her spirited legions, who emerged victorious by nearly 10 percentage points Tuesday.

Results show that voter turnout in the Democratic primary election Tuesday night was the highest in Luzerne County in more than three decades, with a whopping 61 percent of those registered going to the polls.

Statewide, the turnout also was notable, with 54 percent of Democratic registrants participating.

Conversely, four years ago when Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry had the Democratic nomination sown up by the time our state’s primary rolled around, only about 20 percent of eligible voters bothered.

This year’s presidential race is significant, meaningful and historic in every respect, and citizens recognize that.

When all is said and done this summer, either the first black man or the first woman will secure the nomination of a major party. Who could argue that is not a good thing now and for future generations? We are living in a time when the glass ceiling is being shattered and the United States is judging a candidate by his qualities and ideas – and not his skin color.

Certainly, there were some annoyances this spring. For awhile, it seemed like the Clintons – Hillary, Bill and Chelsea – relocated to Northeastern Pennsylvania. We know they are itinerant anyway – New York, Washington, D.C., and Arkansas are among their most recent addresses.

Sure, Hillary has family roots here, but we’d be willing to bet she never planted as much as a petunia in either Scranton or Lake Winola during her youthful visits. We’d bet heavily she can’t find her way to The Banshee, The Lands at Hillside Farms or the Osterhout Free Library.

Likewise, the Obama supporters, who as it turned out were more vocal than plentiful, routinely approached voters and left messages on our home answering machines. These actions were bothersome at times, but there’s no doubt the campaigners were fervent and sincere.

The United States thrives on competition – it was built on it, really – and in that regard the Republican primary floundered. With Sen. John McCain having wrapped up his nomination weeks ago, the GOP faithful had little to inspire them.

In Luzerne County, only one in three eligible voters bothered to cast ballots. That number would have been lower but for the feisty campaign in the 10th Congressional District between Chris Hackett and Dan Meuser.

Come November, Luzerne County will likely be another battleground. Whomever the Democrats nominate, he or she will have markedly different positions than McCain.