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02/22/2008: "Say Goodnight, Hillary"

Wasn't it just a few months ago when the Clinton campaign saw the primary elections as a formality, a nuisance that had to be endured on the way to her inevitable coronation ... er, election ... as president?

My, how the mighty have fallen.

Despite an early lead in delegates, Clinton traded victories with Barack Obama in the early primaries before watching him reel off eleven straight wins. Forced to play from behind, Clinton's campaign has turned increasingly nasty, most recently attacking Obama for plagiarizing a fellow Democratic politician's speeches (while herself being caught lifting snippets from her husband's stump speeches ) and arguing that the disallowed delegates from Florida and Michigan - where she just happened to win - should be reinstated. Her victory, once seen as undeniable, is increasingly unlikely, and her strategy of depending on victories in Ohio and Texas sounds suspiciously like the one followed by Rudy Giuliani in Florida - and you know where that got him.

Last night, the two Democratic candidates met in debate for the first time since the Super Tuesday elections. The dynamic of the campaigns are much different now, with Obama the clear frontrunner and no longer needing a knockout punch - he only had to not be KO'd himself. Both candidates made their points, but it was at best a draw - and that's a victory for Obama. Even Hillary herself seemed to sense her possible demise, sounding less than certain of herself for the first time in the campaign.

"You know, no matter what happens in this contest, I am honored. I am honored to be here with Barack Obama," Clinton said. "I am absolutely honored."

Assuming she doesn't achieve a clear victory in the March 4 primaries, Hillary Clinton will find herself with a decision to make. Does she continue to wage her campaign, hoping to snare the nomination in a floor fight that could be ugly, or does she back down and give Obama the extra time to start to take on the presumed Republican nominee John McCain. How she chooes to react will say a lot about why she's really in the election and what she really want to see happen.

It should be very interesting ...