When Hillary Clinton psyched out the press on April Fool's Day, leading them to think she might announce she was dropping out of the race and instead challenging Barack Obama to a round of bowling back on April 1, turns out it was more than a joke, it was a metaphor for their protracted battle.

Where are we now?
On Tuesday, April 22, Pennsylvania finally heads to the polls for the last of the large state primaries. The Ohio primary seems a distant memory at this point, when NAFTA was in focus, though it was just seven weeks ago. Since then much has transpired, and both have “misspoken.” Hillary for landing under sniper fire in Bosnia; Barack for blaming unhappiness for small-town religious beliefs and gun ownership.

Both situations came up at a spirited debate on Wednesday night in Philadelphia, where Sen. Obama was put on the defensive by Clinton and the two moderators, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos. Major take away from the night: the candidates’ policies are still very similar.

So, who’s ahead?
National polls have Clinton ahead in Pennsylvania, but Obama ahead nationally by 8 points (49% vs 41%). Against McCain, the polls show Clinton losing by 2.4% and Obama and McCain in a dead heat (45% vs 45.6%).

See a roundup of the latest polls and averages.

Meanwhile, McCain…
If you’re a Democrat and saw the debate, you probably winced Wednesday night; If you’re a Republican, you probably squealed in delight. Recently, McCain’s fundraising picked up and he’s organized his campaign, certainly capitalizing on the time to run virtually unopposed so far. He  still has to receive the “official” nomination at the Republican Convention later this year.

The big picture
Some Democrats want Sen. Clinton to drop out of the race so the party can focus, and that chorus will only grow louder if she has a poor performance in Pennsylvania. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, the scream-man himself, wants the three hundred-plus super delegates yet to cast votes to chime in and bring this blood bath to an end. But don’t bet on Clinton backing down before the convention in late August. She’s still bowling for the most strikes to win.