Barack Obama Wins Nomination

The Associated Press is declaring Barack Obama the winner of the Democratic nomination.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.

Campaigning on an insistent call for change, Obama outlasted former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a historic race that sparked record turnout in primary after primary, yet exposed deep racial divisions within the party.

The AP tally was based on public commitments from delegates as well as more than a dozen private commitments. It also included a minimum number of delegates Obama was guaranteed even if he lost the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana later in the day.

Hillary Clinton's campaign Chairman, Terry McAuliffe, has been sending mixed signals to the media. McAuliffe told AP, ""I think Hillary Clinton will congratulate him and call him the nominee." Previously, McAuliffe said Clinton would not concede.

"I don't know who the officials are, but anyone can be an official in this world. I can unequivocally say as chairman of this campaign that until someone has the numbers this nomination fight continues on," he said."The race goes on," he added.

Hillary Clinton is becoming the political version of the Black Knight from Monty Python & the Holy Grail. The Black Knight had all is limbs severed by King Arthur and discounted his injuries as "just a flesh wound". Arthur victoriously walked away, as the Black Knight called him a coward. Hillary will never have enough delegates to become the nominee. That doesn't stop her from snatching defeat from the arms of defeat.

Update: Former Clinton campaign strategist Mark Penn is urging Hillary to fight on for the nomination. Penn has jumped the shark long ago in credibility. Which is one of the reasons he was forced to resign. This nugget about Barack Obama's early victories is my favorite Penn moment.

“Winning Democratic primaries is not a qualification or a sign of who can win the general election. If it were, every nominee would win because every nominee wins Democratic primaries.”

Penn's argument was Hillary would be the better general election candidate. Pay no attention to the candidate that is defeating her. It's hard to argue with logic against illogical bullshit.