The sport of politics. The politics of sport.

Tuesday, Barack Obama swept the Democrats’ so-called Chesapeake primary — the states of Virginia and Maryland and the District of Columbia. The “score” was essentially a rout by Obama of Hillary Clinton, with around 75 percent of D.C. Democratic voters, 63 percent of Maryland Democratic voters and 61 percent of Virginia voters going for Obama and keeping Clinton in the 25-32 percent range.

Virginia, in our view, has been the ultimate bellwether state since Democrat Tim Kaine took over the governorship from Democrat Mark Warner and Jim Webb ousted George Allen for a Senate seat in 2006. All signals from the Commonwealth are of a red state turning purple — making RZP wonder if that trend will spread into other red states in November. Could this be the turning point that turns back the tide on the cynical Republican “Southern Strategy?”

And wouldn’t it be ironic for a candidate who is half black to help accomplish that rather than the slew of milquetoast white liberals who have defined the Democrats’ presidential contenders in recent years?

Obama has now pulled ahead of Clinton in the delegate count, 1,195 to 1,178. Clinton was apparently ahead in Maryland one month ago.

With the number of ballots cast tilted heavily toward the Democratic Party, by almost 3 to 1, The Obama victory sweep of this mid-Atlantic pocket signals above all — especially in traditionally “red state” Virginia — the ascendancy of registered Independents.

The primary election results appear to confirm the results of Red Zone Politics’ interviews with Virginia voters at an Obama town hall meeting Sunday. At that event, RZP discovered that Obama was attracting large numbers of Independents and Republicans, including military veterans who might in previous years have voted for McCain. (See video of those interviews at www.redzonepolitics.com.)