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Getting RacyJohn Dickerson takes readers' questions on the fast-moving primary campaigns.

Posted Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, at 5:55 PM ET

John Dickerson was online at Washingtonpost.com on Thursday, Feb. 7, to discuss the outcome of Super Tuesday and speculate on the upcoming twists of the presidential race. An unedited transcript of the chat follows.

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John Dickerson: I think they're going to contest. They don't want to make the mistake Rudy did. However we might see something like South Carolina where they contest but also spend a lot of time somewhere else— i.e. Ohio and TX.

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Raleigh, N.C.: Good afternoon! The Democratic primary race ... when you write your book, won't it kinda feel like stealing money, given that the story is writing itself? In all seriousness, is this the most dramatic (in the literary sense) race of our lifetimes, or is 1968 still the most dramatic? Also, do you think the high interest is at all related to people being tired of Bush, or is it the inherent drama and closeness of the two primary campaigns?

John Dickerson: It's a great race for all of those reasons. The Democrats are going to nominate the first black or female candidate. The Republican nominee is likely to be a guy who was long thought dead. Lots of rumors of Romney dropping out or suspending campaign today.

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Bow, N.H.: I am seeing some stories about the potential damage a protracted Obama-Clinton fight could have on the party. We have our own issues here in New Hampshire stemming from a choice mailing and e-mail the Clinton campaign put out the weekend before our primary that badly misrepresented and distorted Obama's record. The bad feelings from that are not receding yet, and we'll see if they linger into the fall. Are you seeing similar issues in other states?

John Dickerson: There is some bad blood but in exit polls voters still show that Democrats are pretty happy with both candidates and would be happy if either is the nominee.

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Another Pittsburgher: Does anyone besides me wish the U.S. would switch to a single nationwide presidential primary, with results based on popular vote? And better yet, not even hold said primary until after Labor Day? I think our nominating system, including the conventions, simply is obsolete.

John Dickerson: Lots of people have suggested that. It's nutty though I like the fact that candidates have to campaign one on one in these small states. Perhaps a rotating regional primary system would solve some issues and still keep it small enough to keep some element of the retail aspect of campaigning.

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Elmwood Park, N.J.: Who are all these brilliant anti-Iraq War voters who tell the pollsters that they are voting for McCain? Do things like this ever make you doubt your choice of profession?

John Dickerson: I talk to people all the time, all across the country, who don't support the war and didn't at the time who are McCain supporters.

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Columbia, Md.: Just heard, Romney is suspending his race. True or not?

John Dickerson: Yes he's suspending his campaign.

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Washington: Wow! Just announced that Mitt Romney will bow out today. When will Huckabee follow suit, and what does that mean for the Democrats?

John Dickerson: I'm not sure Huckabee will drop out immediately. I think it means Democrats will start to feel some pressure to iron out their problems quickly. Fortunately for all of us that probably won't change the protracted battle we're facing for Democratic nomination.

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Summit, N.J.: Given that it's now basically impossible for Clinton or Obama to win enough delegates in the primaries to clinch the nomination, how much of a lead would one candidate or the other need to build up to make the superdelegates fall in line? Does Hillary have longer-standing relationships with lots of superdelegates, and does that give her an edge so long as she stays close to Obama in the pledged-delegate count?

John Dickerson: It's a great question and I have no clear answer. Here's what's in play:

1. The fortitude of already pledged superdelegates.

2. What the superdelegates that aren't pledged will ultimately do.

Hillary has stronger ties though as a general matter.

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"Momentum": I'm laughing at the analysis you offered on the Kennedys because on your own website, Tim Noah has an article about how the Momentucrats—those who judge elections through perceptions of candidate momentum—lost the Super Tuesday electoral rhetorical battle to the Arithmecrats, who judge elections based on votes. Care to comment?

washingtonpost.com: Triumph of the Arithmecrats (Slate, Feb. 6)