This has been one of the most interesting nomination campaigns to watch, maybe since 1976.  I saw two very brilliant candidates tonight, focused on a Democratic Party win in November and the putting down of a permanent war footing policy; the end of neo-liberal free trade ideology; and the end to top end tax breaks.  I saw humor and for the first time in my life I understand the adjective "presidential."

It's really over the top now.  I haven't found posts as negative and counterproductive on right wing sites, who must be sitting back and reveling in our circular firing squad.  Rove is laughing all the way to the bank.

Fortunately the candidates are showing leadership.  They snipe at each other, but neither has really crossed the line since the days before New Hampshire.  You can see that they admire and respect each other, and if I were to place bets they are probably going to be running mates.  So it's up to everyone else to get over it and accept what follows, and at this point it looks like Obama for president.  

He'd be in good company. Eugene Debs ran for president from a jail cell in 1920, having violated the Espionage Act by publicly opposing U.S. involvement in World War I. But Debs was in jail for speaking out against the war. McCain has another problem, and it isn't the unsubstantiated sex scandal. He may be in violation of his own law.

From WAPO:

By signing up for matching money, McCain agreed to adhere to strict state-by-state spending limits and an overall limit on spending of $54 million for the primary season, which lasts until the party's nominating convention in September. The general election has a separate public financing arrangement.

   ....

   If the FEC refuses McCain's request to leave the system, his campaign could be bound by a potentially debilitating spending limit until he formally accepts his party's nomination. His campaign has already spent $49 million, federal reports show. Knowingly violating the spending limit is a criminal offense that could put McCain at risk of stiff fines and up to five years in prison.

This is not in any way intended to stuff Clinton supporters' noses into anything.  It's not to be cocky.  It's not a victory dance.

The question is serious.  Should Clinton drop out now?

I've seen numbers here somewhere that to reach a tie with Obama she would have to average 58% wins in all of the rest of the states.  If she doesn't accomplish this, she would have to depend on Florida and Michigan delegates and/or the super delegates.  A nomination on either basis would kill her chances in November.  Isn't it really over?

I don't think I've seen anything like this.

Mark MacKinnon, who designs Mr McCain's advertisements, said he could not face being part of a campaign that "would inevitably be attacking" Mr Obama.

"I have met Barack Obama. I have read his book. I like him a great deal. I disagree with him on very fundamental issues but it would be uncomfortable for me and it would be bad for the McCain campaign," he told National Public Radio.

Okay, so what does Barack Obama have to do to "win" tomorrow?  He's ahead by double digits in the polls for Virginia and Maryland.  He exceeded expectations all weekend, including a greater than 20 percent win in Louisiana.  So under the protocols of expectations he must win both Maryland and Virginia tomorrow by at least 20 points.  He is expected to exceed expectations.  A 19 point win does not exceed expectations, so it should be interpreted as a major setback for him.

Alright, so we have a blow-out win for Obama in New England, where Clinton was expected to at least keep it close.  But it wasn't a real win, because it was a caucus.  And we all know that caucuses are undemocratic, even if we didn't start to complaint about it until Obama started winning them.

And we know his primary wins aren't real wins because they were mostly in the south, where black votes are abundant.  Or in his home state.  Or anomalies in New England like Delaware and Connecticut.  Or Utah because they want to copy the other rectangular states all having caucuses where Obama gets 60 to 80 percent of the white vote, which isn't really the white vote because its in caucus states.

I know we've had some very intense arguments over the week.  I even said a couple of mean things, for which I apologize.  Your candidate won the day, for the most part.  She fought hard and earned it.

I wish he'd had a South Carolina "wave" tonight.  I was particularly disappointed Obama's performance in California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.  She outperformed the "expectations" established over the last week.  She looks strong.