From sea to shining sea, Al Gore '69 and George W. Bush cruised to victory in numerous Super Tuesday primaries yesterday, all but wrapping up their parties' presidential nominations.

Gore shut out challenger Bill Bradley in all 16 Democratic contests, winning most by landslides, while Republican John S. McCain was only able to collect victories in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island.

In California and New York, two bellwether states McCain needed to win in order to remain a viable candidate, Republican voters chose Bush instead. In delegate-heavy Ohio, Bush won with a commanding 60 percent of the vote.

"We have a national victory," Bush said to his supporters in Austin, Texas last night. "Republicans and conservatives across America have said they want me to lead the Republican Party to victory come November, and I am ready and eager to do so."

In his victory speech, Bush complimented McCain and seemed to indicate that the Arizona senator's presidential campaign was effectively over.

"I respect him, and I respect his commitment to reform," Bush said.

Anticipating Bush victories elsewhere, McCain advisers had hoped that their candidate would sweep the Northeast, win the majority of New York delegates and claim popular vote victories in Ohio and California--home to 162 delegates--to have a reasonable shot at the nomination. None of those scenarios played out.

Though there is hardly any way in which he could gain enough delegates to win the nomination, McCain refused last night to withdraw from the campaign.