Obama Takes Wisconsin By 15 Points; Hillary Continues To Flounder
 
After Obama's clinching of the Wisconsin primary (by close to 15 points), the question needs to be asked again: is this the end of the House of Clinton?
The loss in Wisconsin portends ill for Hillary. Obama made major inroads in closing the gap, if not capturing the demographics that comprise the Clinton coalition. The bad news doesn't end there. Ohio, a must-win state for Hillary, is strikingly similar, demographically speaking, to Wisconsin. It's clear that her base of support is leeching towards Obama. Hillary is running out of time and money.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What now for the Clintons? Given the fact that neither candidate has the necessary delegates for victory, Team Clinton has focused on the Super-delegates as well as seating the delegations from Florida and Michigan. A strategy that is fraught with peril for the health of the Democratic Party, but a course of action that the Clintons won't hesitate to pursue.
But in order to make a convincing argument for super-delegate support, Hillary not only has to win Ohio and Texas, she has to win big. Moving from message to message,however, her campaign continues to flounder. Wracked by internal divisions and a key staff shake-out, Hillary can't seem to get any traction. The feigned outrage over the plagiarism charge, from which Hillary’s campaign gained no traction, just demonstrates how listless her strategy has become. Every time Hillary issues an attack ad against Obama, democratic voters seem to recoil against the prospect of a Clinton Restoration.
With Wisconsin, Obama has 10 straight primary victories under his belt. If his momentum continues and/or Hillary makes a weak showing in either Ohio or Texas, the issue of the super-delegates would seem to be moot. Some party insiders have already admonished those who would seek to overturn the candidate that has won the most primaries. Bill Clinton can call in all the chits and favors he wants. But the reality is that if Obama continues his winning streak, no super-delegates are going to get onboard Hillary's sinking ship.
Beacon Street Journal
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
By John Kinsellagh