But from now onwards the partners' preoccupation will be to seduce as broad a swathe of the electorate as they can, which means reaching out to the middle as well as cultivating their bases.
In the hustle to make sense of the conflicting messages from Virginia and New Jersey, campaign consultants may conclude that the promise of tax cuts does seduce voters, while a record of tax-cutting leaves them cold.
If Microsoft can seduce consumers to its platform by making the social consumer experience simple and seamless, this may differentiate the company from the field.