Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee
The race is over: Obama won Montana, lost South Dakota, and won enough additional superdelegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination
Article added on June 4, 2008 at 07:35 Swiss time
  
Finally, the Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses are over. Barack Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee. He lost South Dakota, but won Montana, and most importantly, won enough additional superdelegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination.

If Hillary Clinton continues her fight until the Democratic convention at the end of August, the two candidates will harm each other too much. Luckily, on June 3, Barack Obama has ended all speculations by getting over the 2,118 delegates bar needed to win the nomination.

According to CNN, on June 4 at 07:20, Barack Obama has 1,762 pledged delegates and 394 superdelegates on his side. With a total of 2,156 delegates on his side, in his speech after the election, he could rightly claim to be the Democratic presidential nominee.



In the South Dakota primary, with 99% of precincts reporting, Barack Obama won 45% of the vote and 6 pledged delegates. Hillary Clinton is the winner with 55% of the vote and 9 pledged delegates.

In the Montana primary, after 65% of precincts reporting, Barack Obama won 57% of the vote and 8 pledged delegates. Hillary Clinton only got 40% and 4 pledged delegates.

After former president Jimmy Carter publicly endorsed Barack Obama on June 3, during the voting in Montana and South Dakota, other superdelegates stepped forward too.

Hillary Clinton turned out to be a sour loser. Instead of stepping forward and putting herself behind Barack Obama, she wavered in her “concession speech”. She said: “In the coming days, I'll be consulting with my supporter and party leaders to determine how to move forward with the best interests of our party and our country guiding my way”. The quicker she acknowledges defeat and endorses Barack Obama, the better for the Democrats.

It looks as if she wants to push Barack Obama to endorse herself as his choice for vice-president. In normal circumstances, such an attitude would backfire. Unfortunately for Barack Obama, he really needs the votes of Hillary Clinton's camp and will have to give her the vice-presidency if ever she wants it. [Added at 07:52: he may put her in his cabinet and in charge of his health-care reform plan].

Barack Obama is most popular with younger, higher-educated as well as African-American voters, whereas Hillary Clinton does best with female, older, blue-collar and Hispanic voters. In that sense, she would be an ideal running mate for Barack Obama.

Unfortunately, with former president Bill Clinton in her baggage and given her past and her character, the Clintons could quickly turn out to pursue their own political goals, establishing a sort of side-presidency.

Thomas R. Marshall, America's 28th Vice President, said about the office: “Once there were two brothers. One went away to sea; the other was elected vice president. And nothing was heard of either of them again”. Barack Obama supporters hope that it will turn out like that. Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton and her supporters have very different ideas.



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If everything goes according to the electoral logic of an incompetent Republican president, who totally mismanaged an unpopular war and is facing a sluggish economy, the GOP should have no chance to win the presidency in November.

However, John McCain is not an ordinary Republican candidate. He is the best possible choice the GOP could come up with. He is the only man within the party to have a chance to win the presidency. Last but not least, he is the most credible candidate in the race, the best to lead the United States. In both the Senate and the House, Republicans will most certainly face crushing defeats.

Barack Obama may face racist attacks. More importantly, he will again have to face his past at Trinity United Church of Christ. We can only repeat ourselves: if ever a video should surface showing him applauding a rant by reverend Jeremiah Wright, he is done. Since no such video has surfaced yet, it is probable that there is none. As long as it stays that way and as long as Barack Obama can convince the majority of the American voters that he does not share any of his former pastor's strange ideas, he will be the next president.

As all three remaining candidates - Hillary has not conceded yet - Barack Obama has not the experience of holding an executive office in his career. In November, he may have to lead the United States, the world's only superpower.