Obama to Clinton: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue and your super delegates are mine too

Today the New York Times and the Associated Press are reporting that Congressmen John Lewis and David Scott of Georgia respectively are defecting from the Clinton camp to the Obama camp. It was not that long ago Senator Barack Obama told various news organisations that super delegates should reflect the wishes of the Democratic voters instead of backing the establishment candidate just because she is the establishment candidate. That message is resonating with some super delegates. The bigger question is will the super delegates persuade Hillary to quit? The better question is when will former Sen. John Edwards endorse Sen. Obama?

It is not surprising that super delegates are thinking about defecting. After all, the mac daddy of American liberalism and the lion of the Democratic Party, Senator Edward Kennedy, announced that he would support Obama on the eve of George W Bush's final State of the Union Address. The Kennedy endorsement provides every super delegate more cover to support Obama than a 3-ft thick wall of lead could ever provide in nuclear fallout. In case the Kennedy endorsement was not enough, Obama now has the lead in pledged delegates after winning eight straight primaries and caucuses after Super Tuesday.

The pundits are right. Many super delegates are looking towards November and weighing the best match up against Sen. John McCain. Once Obama showed that he currently enjoys a lead in a hypothetical match up against McCain compared to Clinton's roughly tied match up. More importantly, they figured out that, if the Republicans want Clinton as the nominee, they really should go with Obama instead. After all, all the polls show that men would support McCain over Clinton in that hypothetical match up compared to a roughly equal split when McCain faces Obama. The Democratic base is just as happy with Obama leading the ticket compared to Clinton as leader.

I could hear Hillary's order of the day to Bill especially and other senior campaign staff, plug those leaks. No, not leaks to the media. But rather the leak of super delegates from Clinton to Obama. Camp Clinton knows full well that means Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania are the must win states or go home. Right now, it is tempting to consider conceding the nomination to Obama given some of the serious problems they have. Money is hard to come by, super delegates that once endorsed her wants to back Obama, campaign staff firing and he is cleaning the floor with her. It would be fitting for Clinton to concede the nomination in San Antonio in front of the Alamo. This was, after all, the place that the rebel Texans made their last stand against the Mexicans. In fact, I know what I would say, if I were Hillary Clinton, on the eve of the Texas primary in front of the Alamo with defeat looming. But I doubt she will have the audacity to use it. If she does, Obama can pounce all over her by citing this was a speech given the current occupant of the White House in September 1999.

For those of you who do not know the story, sports commentators called the American victory at the 1999 Ryder Cup in Massachusetts the Comeback of the Century. The American Captain, Ben Crenshaw, asked then Texas Governor George W Bush to rally the troops on Saturday night. They were trailing the Europeans by four points, but no team has ever rallied from more than a two point deficient to victory before 1999. That Sunday morning, Tom Lehman led the first of seven consecutive singles victories for the Americans ending with the 45-foot putt on the 17th green heard around the world. It is the most appropriate speech to give under those circumstances.

However, the truth is it is far more fitting for her to concede the nomination in front of the Alamo with promises that she shall return to fulfill her dreams of becoming the first woman president. The general theme would be something like I may have lost this battle, but I have not lost war, or I will continue to fight the good fight, or perhaps answering the famous question of her candidacy - this is not about America's readiness for a woman president, but rather is America ready for Hillary Clinton. Frankly, I cannot answer that question by saying that Hillary Clinton is just a candidate for the presidency who happens to be a woman the way most people talk about Obama as a candidate who happens to be African American.