The End?

All the signs point to Hillary Clinton stopping her campaign as soon as tomorrow.

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama pushed close to victory in the marathon Democratic presidential race Monday on the eve of a final pair of primaries amid signs that Hillary Rodham Clinton was preparing to acknowledge defeat.
 
Said a confident-sounding Obama: "I told her that once the dust settled I'm looking forward to meeting with her at a time and place of her choosing." That was from a conversation the two rivals had on Sunday night. He did not describe her response.

He also said he would begin thinking about a vice presidential running mate "the day after I have gotten that last delegate needed to officially claim the nomination."

The former first lady gave no public hint of quitting the race, and she has said repeatedly she might continue her candidacy even beyond the end of the primaries.

But her husband, former President Clinton, strongly suggested otherwise. "This may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind," he said as he worked for his wife in South Dakota.

Put aside the perpetually narcissistic need Bubba has to be the center of attention and consider his words for a moment. Bitter? You bet. Indicative of how close Hillary Clinton is to suspending her campaign? You bet. My guess is that is how she will phrase it: that she is "suspending" the campaign, not quitting. That way she can step back in if Obama falls on his face in the next few weeks. (Given Obama's penchant for political pratfalls, that is not out of the question.)

What does this imply for November? Haven't a clue. I think the prolonged and very bitter contest has caused real and lasting divisions in the Democratic party. I do not think Obama can heal those divisions – it got a lot too personal. But maybe Clinton is giving Obama a chance to fail early in hopes of stepping in as the party savior.