How does Mitt Romney’s departure affect the Democratic race? Let’s look at next Tuesday. In my home state of Virginia we do not register by party, so on Tuesday Independents and Republicans can vote in either race and many will choose to vote in the Democratic contest, the only active primary. Barack Obama would seem to be the natural beneficiary of this. Independents who want to “turn the page” and Republicans who want to dispense with the Clintons may find common cause with the “Yes we can ” crowd. Wisconsin, Ohio, and Texas are also “open” primaries for the Democrats. In a race which is now utterly deadlocked (Clinton leads with 1045 delegate to 906 for Obama) some small addition to Obama’s base of support may make a difference. I’m betting we will soon see “Republicans for Obama” groups “spontaneously” pop up around the country.