Wither White Males

They're a fickle group of late. Prone to mood swings and flights of fancy when it comes to making the tough decision that now confronts them. Some would argue that they are emotionally unstable, and by-and-large confused. I speak, of course, about white men, that much maligned demographic that might just hold the key to this year's Democratic primary election.

Who knew white men actually held power in today's society? Well, The Washington Post, for one:

In the fierce campaign between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, a battle dominated by questions of race and gender, white men have emerged as perhaps the single critical swing constituency.

One wonders, just who are these so-called white men? And why haven't we been paying attention until now? The Post's in-depth exposé into what excites white men reveals several interesting truths:

An examination of exit polls in Wisconsin and Ohio, states with striking similarities, shows that many more working-class white men in Ohio said race was a factor in their vote on March 4 than was the case in Wisconsin. The analysis makes clear that race was not the deciding factor in the Ohio primary but did contribute to Clinton's margin of victory.

So, it seems that not all white men are exactly the same. Interesting! Those in Wisconsin don't mind the idea of a black president nearly as much as the ones in Ohio. Or, could it be that Wisconsin's honky dude population isn't as open to a female commander-in-chief as Buckeye State guys?

It's a confusing time for white males now that their impressive streak of nominating one of their own is finally over. The question before them is this: Since John Edwards' departure, which remaining candidate will serve their white guy interests better: the mixed-race guy, or the woman?