It ain't over, till it's over
Updated on 01 June 2008
Clinton was all smiles in Puerto Rico yesterday, but fighting on won't go down well with those who want a reunited Democrats.
If not the end, this must surely be the beginning of the end, of what has been the longest, closest fought and most expensive nomination campaign any party has waged in recent memory.
Just three primary contests remain: Puerto Rico votes today, followed by Montana and South Dakota on Tuesday. Just 86 pledged delegates are at stake.
Now 150 superdelegates have yet to make up their minds. Barack Obama needs just 76 to clinch the nomination for good.
Yesterday was Hillary Clinton's last chance to make up crucial ground, with the ruling over the disputed convention delegates. She failed.
Instead, there was the expected compromise from the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee which, for the first time ever, suddenly found its session described as the 'hottest ticket in town'.
Behind the scenes sources close to Clinton are hinting she's already resigned to defeat, with some kind of concession speech planned for next week.
The committee's decision to allow Florida's delegates half a vote each was one blow for the Clinton camp. Then came the double whammy: Michigan's delegation will be split fifty-fifty between the two rivals.
Inside the hall, furious Clinton supporters shouted "Denver, Denver" hinting they could still pursue a challenge all the way to the convention.
Outside there were more cries of betrayal, with some insisting they'd rather vote for John McCain if Hillary was not crowned the nominee.
The official line from the Clinton team is that they're determined to fight on. Hillary is still calling up superdelegates, pledged to Obama or uncommitted, urging them to keep an open mind.
She's spurred on, no doubt, by events like last night's declaration by Obama that he was finally leaving Trinity church. He's been a member for 20 years but after the scandal over the Reverend Wright - and most recently, a guest appearance from a Catholic priest who mocked Hillary Clinton and accused her of 'white entitlement' - he's moving on.
Clearly, the Clinton message seems to be: anything can happen, don't give up on me yet.
But behind the scenes sources close to Clinton are hinting she's already resigned to defeat, with some kind of concession speech planned for next week after the final primary results are in.
It's the way to keep friends and still influence people: carrying on the fight would risk more division, more infighting, and anger from party leaders desperate to bring the Democrats together again and focus on the real fight to come, against John McCain.
And that's already the tenor of Obama's campaign. He's busy fighting the general election: Tuesday's victory speech planned for St Paul, Minnesota - the site of the Republican convention.
And in a gesture of party unity, his aides have been told to start reaching out to the Clinton team - in pursuit of the common prize.
It isn't over, till it's over but this week, just maybe, the Democrats might finally get their nominee.
