The Sixth Sense

Clinton to concede tonight?

Those of you who have been reading The Sixth Sense for a while will be aware of my interest in the US Democratic nominations. It has been fascinating to see this battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama unfold. I am really hoping things will come to an end tonight as the last two states have their say.

From an outside to the US looking in, it feels like the superdelegates are at fault for allowing this to drag on as long as it has. It seems like they have endlessly been waiting for Hillary to make a graceful exit on her own terms. But that was never very likely. She’s a fighter who - in my mind at least - seems to be more about herself than the Democratic party.

If the superdelegates had shown some conviction the Democrats could be in a lot better position than they currently are. As the process has drawn on and on, the divisions between the two camps have got wider and wider. It seems like there is a lot of anger and bitterness. There is a lot more work to be done to bring the party together than there would have been if the superdelegates had acted with conviction earlier in the process.

Having said that, I do think the ‘we’re going to vote for McCain’ line that people from both camps are saying if their candidate doesn’t win is not going to be a major issue when the dust settles and the nomination is finalised. It’s an emotional response and not a realistic one.

If someone suddenly switches from Clinton to McCain is just shows that it is nothing to do with politics. Obama and Clinton are really very close on most issues. So, as things settle down, I think the two camps will predominantly come together. They’ll always be a few crazy people though! (Especially in America!)

So, I’m hoping tonight that this nomination is settled, Clinton concedes, and then she works her butt off to bring her supporters behind Obama. And then the real fun and games can go to stage two ahead of the November general election.

What do you think?