It's June 4th...

The primaries are over and may I say - way to go South Dakotans! You cast your ballots for Hillary, making a clear statement about her campaign even when the nomination is beyond her grasp. How many times was South Dakota mentioned by the national media over the past few weeks? The Great State hasn't received that much attention since before Tom Daschle was inexplicably voted out of office.

I've heard a rumor that Grandma Dottie had front row seats to hear Bill Clinton speak this week in Webster. There may have been a photo-op and hand shaking involved as well. I must investigate this further, but if this is true, to say I'm jealous would be an understatement!

Despite Hillary's win in South Dakota, she doesn't have the delegates to win the nomination. In fact, Walter Mondale's defection this morning will surely be the first of many. Math may not be my best subject, but there is no denying that Obama exceeded 2,118 delegates last night. He's the nominee. End of campaign, or at least it should be.

I'm saying it here: time to end it, Hillary. I also told her this on her website. As if she would listen to me, but she asked for input from supporters and here's what I wrote:

Hillary – You are an inspiration. Your determination and perseverance in this campaign are eclipsed only by the presidential skill and aptitude you have shown the American people. I first voted for you in the 2000 NY Senate race and eagerly anticipated your presidential bid even before that time.

I know, as millions of other do, that you would make a tremendous president. Americans’ voices have been heard in a democratic process that’s part of what makes our country great. While it may not always favor the most qualified or most dedicated, we must respect and uphold the process.

The votes are in and while it was an incredibly close contest, the nomination is not yours. Please end your campaign. There’s so much you can do to, as you said last night, help people. It doesn’t have to be from the presidency. And it’s not going to be. Moving on doesn’t mean giving up. Move on before someone else makes that decision for you. Do it for yourself and for us.

Several times throughout this process, I said I would support Obama if he became the nominee. While still unofficial until the convention, I'm making my support official today (what am I, a superdelegate?). I hope my fellow Hillary supporters will follow suit.

I have expressed concerns about Obama's ability to compete against John McCain with "swing" voters. The more I listen to McCain's weak platform, the less I worry about that. His criticisms that Obama hasn't served in the military and is thus less qualified to be president are ridiculous. Does he really think that military service resonates with many voters today? While McCain's is laudable, I don't believe there are many Americans who gauge candidates on that anymore. I believe his pro-war stance will hinder McCain more than it will help him.

Obama has a difficult five months ahead of him, but ultimately he will persevere. Should the hotly-anticipated (at least by me) Obama/Clinton dream ticket materialize (how about this week?), McCain may as well concede now and we can skip the election altogether!