Hillary Clinton Concedes Nomination to Barack Obama...

...that is going to be the international headlines on Wednesday, March 5, 2008.

Looking into the fire while sitting here under my baobob tree it seems that the headline above could become reality. Here are 13 factoids floating in my mind:

1. Obama has plenty of money
2. Obama leads in the popular vote
3. Obama leads in the pledged delegates
4. Obama leads in states 23-12; there are 15 states left to vote
5. Obama is winning by large margins in states all across the nation
6. Obama demonstrated that he can match or beat the ground game in every state
7. Clinton & Obama agree on most issues
8. Clinton already has high negatives ... running more negative ads hurts her more than Obama
9. Clinton can't hold super-delegates if she can't win any states since Super Tuesday
10. Clinton is boxed in by the rules on Michigan and Florida delegates
11. Clinton is good at debates ... but, she ain't that good
12. Clinton oratory and message is tired and uninspired
13. Clinton is on wrong side of history re: Iraq War

With these background factoids, it is my view that Obama will win all four primary contests on Tuesday, March 4. He will win Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont.

You recall that I predicted earlier that Obama would win either Ohio and Texas. After watching him royally kick Clinton's butt in Wisconsin ... I feel that it is over.

Villager's Prediction

I predict that Obama is going to roll through all four of the contests on March 4th with a victory. That would mean that Hillary Clinton lost 14 straight contests since Super Tuesday. People keep saying, "Never count the Clintons out". Villagers, you get wiped out in 14 straight states ... you get counted out.

People used to say that Bill Clinton was the "first Black president" because of the affinity that African Americans had with him in the 1990s. He managed to lose all of those chips with his performance in January during the New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina primaries. It is doubtful that African Americans will ever view Bill Clinton the same any longer.

Hillary will face one of those 'Come to Jesus' moments as the election results start coming into her hotel room on March 4th. She will come to the realization that her politics of division and memories of 1990s success simply don't resonate in 2008. America is not looking to build a bridge back to the 20th century. Hillary will realize that her dream of sharing the White House bedroom with Bill Clinton again has been rejected by the voters.

Hillary will realize that she needs to figure out an exit strategy.

Her exit strategy will be to appreciate her job as US Senator from New York. Likely, she will become one of the most visible and vocal leaders in the US Senate in 2009 and beyond. Her strengths are legislation and hearings and such. She will be able to do what she does best in the US Senate. That will become her saving grace.

All of these thoughts will come to her on March 4 when the election results from Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont come rolling in. At that point she will see that there is no chance for pulling victory from the jaws of defeat. Losing 14 straight states makes you reconsider your limited options.

She will sleep on it. Then she will wake up on Wednesday, March 5th and step down. She will concede the nomination to Barack Obama. It will be a gracious and classy move. It will be the beginning of her rebuilding her reputation and should allow her to be a power broker for many years within the Democratic Party. It will position the Democratic Party to unify in the coming battle with John McCain.

That is how I see it sitting here under my baobob tree. What say u?