Normally when Nancy Davenport and her friends play bridge on Fridays, politics is off-limits--but recently, conversation has turned to the upcoming presidential primary. With Super Tuesday just around the corner, the women are considering each candidate's strategy.

"You can't just vote strictly Democrat or strictly Republican," Davenport said. "I think you should vote for the person."

Missouri's primary election is of particular interest - and not just to locals. Missouri is often called the country's "bellweather state." This nickname refers to the phenomenon that the state has voted for the winner of every presidential election, with only one exception.

"Missouri has often been a harbinger of how things go," according to Mike Huckabee. "Where Missouri votes the rest of the country does."

In addition to being the geographic center of the country, Missouri falls between 20th and 30th (out of 50 states) in almost any demographic measure. It is precisely this averageness that makes Missouri so extraordinary, politically speaking.

But John Petrocik, a political science professor at MU, has a less rosy view of the situation. He does not see Missouri as a critical area.

"I would probably be the grumpy guy and tell you that it's not clear to me that Missouri is that important," Petrocik said. "This is a game of collecting delegates and Missouri doesn't have that much to contribute on either side."

Nevertheless, candidates have been focusing their attention on Missouri for the past several weeks, with more presidential hopefuls stopping here than ever before. Although most campaigned in St. Louis and Kansas City, a few made it to mid-Missouri as well. With so much candidate attention on the state, voters are carefully analyzing their choices.

"We still have to get down to the issue," Columbia resident Kyle Ali said. "What is it that the candidates care about and how does it affect you?"

It is expected that Missouri will receive even more attention as a swing state as the general election nears.