Despite the Clintons’ fantasies, the fat lady has begun to sing.  Hillary is out of money (having loaned herself another $6.4 million in the last month and more than $11 million so far), behind in delegates, popular vote, and in states won.  With no practical chance of overtaking Obama in delegates pledged, her only hope is that the super delegates will overrule the will of the people and nominate her.  That scenario is unlikely to occur since the superdelegates have to face their peers and, in many cases, voters of their own.  And with the spectre of the 2000 election fiasco kept fresh in their minds by Democratic leaders, the perception that people were disenfranchised by party leaders who nullified their votes is a concern.

For the good of the Democratic party, it is time for Hillary to step up to the plate, congratulate Barack, and begin to rally the party behind him before it’s too late.  People don’t switch allegiances quickly, so the Democratic party will need as much time as possible to convince voters to forget the bruising primary season and vote Obama in November.

McCain has wasted no time since Romney exited the race, leaving McCain the presumptive nominee.  He has met with countless conservative groups and has garnered endorsements from key conservative leaders.  He is solidifying the Republican base while Clinton and Obama are continuing to divide the Democratic base (more the former than the latter is at fault).

Some say that Hillary should hold out until the last of the states have voted on June 3rd.  However, waiting until then adds another month of divisiveness that could have been used for uniting the party.

The bottom line is: It is time for Hillary to concede defeat and begin to work toward uniting the Democratic party behind Barack Obama – despite how painful it is for her.

Mark