2008-06-03
Just under six months ago, I was saying how the Democratic primary would be wrapped up quickly and the Republicans would be dragged into St. Paul tearing themselves apart trying to find a candidate that wouldn't cause half of the party to stay at home in November. Clinton would obviously wrap up the nomination fairly quickly.
Then Obama won Iowa. Since then, the Democratic campaign seems to have stolen Gallifreyan technology and sent the start of the electoral cycle back into prehistory; a primary stretching out to infinity. Or so it felt at times.
But after the settling of the Michigan and Florida delegates at the weekend, the end has been in sight. Strictly speaking, the end has been in sight ever since Super Tuesday, but it's taken this long for the Clinton camp to notice. Today is the last day of voting. South Dakota and Montana. Every state got a say. The superdelegates are beginning to make their final move to push Obama over the top, Clinton's disingenuous talk of winning the popular vote notwithstanding. At long last, the three-way race is whittled down to two.
There is talk of a GOP implosion this November. Having lost three safe seats this year already, Elizabeth Dole is looking shaky in North Carolina, Ted Stevens in Alaska may be rueing the day that he described the Internet as 'a series of tubes', and Al Franken may replace Norm Coleman as Senator for Minnesota.
This all bodes well. But never underestimate the ability of the Democrats to screw it all up…