The End of Obamamania

As every political pundit with a calculator has discovered, the odds of a Clinton victory in November are hopelessly slender. Hence, while Republicans continue to enjoy the gratuitous media coverage of mud-slinging and character-bashing in the Democratic primaries, they are also setting their gaze upon son-to-be Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

Unfortunately for Democrats, the Obama moment seems to have crested. The underdog has likely swept aside the establishment candidate, thereby brandishing in victory the banner of "change." However, the golden child has already begun to tarnish. Opinions have soured in the wake of multiple scandals. First, Obama's luster was dimmed by the shadow of a (not-fully disclosed) relationship with Tony Rezko. Then came several unflattering quotes and revelations from Mrs. Michele Obama. And now, the bombshell of Obama's apparent comfort with the radical racism of his pastor has threatened to inflict irreparable harm. As No Left Turn's William Voegeli concludes:

Obama's [pastor Jeremiah] Wright problem, for the general election, is that it gives voters in both these blocs ['Reagan Democrats' – working-class whites who didn't go to college, and Latinos], who might otherwise have felt guilty about voting against a black candidate, a way to do so with a clear conscience. There is nothing racist about voting against Obama anymore.

As goes the while male vote, so goes the election. Obama cannot afford the appearance of racist sympathies, nor the lingering suspicion of ethical scandal or poor judgment. However, Hilary Clinton's likely victory in Pennsylvania will provide fresh blood to the media frenzy around the Democratic race - thus propelling the ever-more damaging contest onward toward the convention. Many thought that Hillary Clinton could not win the general election. It now seems that she will out-do her nay-sayers and ensure that no Democrat can do so.