The Republican race now seems close to a finish. Barring a huge reversal of fortune, John McCain is on track to become the GOP’s presidential nominee, although not as swiftly as he expected a few days ago.

On the Democratic side, the contest may just be getting started. It has at least a month more to go – and probably much more.

There is now every reason to expect that the April 22 Pennsylvania primary, which once looked like an ill-timed political afterthought, could turn out to be a high-stakes political showdown between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

And the Democratic race could very easily go all the way to the national convention in Denver during the last week of August.