This isn't over.  Hillary is just warming up.

So it's been a month or so since my last donation to Barack but I can tell you my donation is itching for Tuesday night.

We all know this thing is over (well, almost all of us), but I'd thought I'd do one final magic number diary before the end, reflecting the final resting place of the goalposts. 2,209 Delegates.  

In short, there are four more hurdles Obama has to clear before he undeniably (even in the Clinton universe) is the nominee. And we all know what they are. When he clears in parenthesis. There are five scenarios.

1. MAJ of Pledged Delegates (no MI/FL) = 1,627 (3,253 Tot) (5/20)

2. MAJ of Pledged Delegates (w/ MI/FL) = 1,783.5 (3,566 Tot) (5/31 or 6/1)

3. MAJ of all Delegates (no MI/FL) = 2,025 (4,049 Tot) (5/31 or 6/1)

4. MAJ of all Delegates (w/ MI/FL) = 2,209 (4,417 Tot) (6/3)

5. MAJ of all Delegates (w/ MI/FL counting half) = 2,116.5 (4,233) (6/3)

The first one will be a done deal on 5/20, the second and third on June 1st or May 31 (if there is a MI/FL deal announced). With a MI/FL deal in place and the Superdelegate stream continuing Obama will surpass 2,209 on June 3rd. And then give one HELL of a speech.  

# of Supers Obama needs to clear the last two hurdles =  340 and 394. More details below the jump.

So reports are appearing that Democratic bigwigs want to intervene to end this primary fight. I suggest that they do so at the party's peril. Hillary has support of roughly half the party. If her run were pre-empted before she was prepared to quit, the rancor would be so great that literally millions of her supporters would sit on their hands come November.

I think the party leadership should stay out of this. Let the people have their say. Stepping in to end this fight now will
have dramatic repercussions not the least of which will be almost certainly handing the presidency over to McCain.

With the death toll now exceeding 4,000 American lives, the time has come, though be it late, to end this war in Iraq.  That was the precise message from Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware in this week's Democratic radio address.

if you were the author of the story of the primary campaign, how would you write the ending?  what would you like to see happen from here that best positions the party for the general?  let's establish a couple ground rules:

1 - the narrative must bring supporters of both candidates into a passionate campaign for the general election.  the losing candidate must not feel vanquished and the supporters not feel excluded.

2 - hillary wins pennsylvania with something less than 60%.

3 - neither candidate gets all the pledged delegates necessary to win.

how does it all end, in your mind's eye?  how can it end in a manner that brings unity to the party and power in the general election?

Five years since the U.S. invasion of Iraq 4,000 of our brave men and women have lost their lives.

I read an article today, just now actually on CNN, that included a reference to God by the star of the article. I wrote a little piece for my own blog and decide this would be an interesting debate to throw up.

Perhaps it would be better suited for Street Prophets but I'm not looking to turn this into some huge diary.

Your thoughts are appreicated. Simple discussion and curious introspection is all that's needed in this diary. Let's try not to flame each other.