It's fairly inconceivable to me that the Obama campaign would be so determined to prove that they can win this thing on their terms, and their terms alone, that they would blow the chance to win at all.  But that seems to be what they are doing.

A certain shot of adrenaline would be for Obama to name Clinton as his VP.  I don't think he and his advisers can bring themselves to do it.  I think they'd rather lose.

And while it's by no means certain that Obama will lose he and his campaign seem to be testing out pry bars to find one strong enough to open the jaws of victory.

"If Obama loses without picking Hillary, he and his team will have some serious splainin' to do."

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The Obama supporting blogs and the Obama friendly media are already plotting how they will blame Hillary when Obama loses.

She's the only former Democratic candidate that is doing anything for Obama. In some instances, she is even campaigning harder for Obama than Obama is for himself. Yet, these people are going to blame her when he loses, when the fault will most definitely rest on Obama himself, the DNC for selecting the weaker candidate, and the Obama supporters for being such belligerent bleeps.

Just mention that this is a possibility and they are all sure cause their cousin said they would vote for Obama that it is so.  

Obama didn't want Clinton as VP, so the campaign said, "We'll take advantage of the late convention date and not make a premature announcement.  If Clinton's supporters come around, we can pick whomever we want.  If they don't and things look bad, we can make a surprise announcement at the convention and completely dominate the news for at least a week."

At this point it would take one heck of an acting job by everyone involved to make it sound like they weren't [1] doing what I described above or [2] just playing games because Clinton was the pick all along.  They'd have to spin quite a story about how Obama and Clinton talked on the phone a couple of times every day and had a real meeting of the minds, he grew to recognize the depth of her commitment to public service, etc.

And it could be that putting her name into play for the convention vote is part of the process, as it sets up Obama to use a strong showing by her (when she actually has zero chance of being selected) as proof that he's making the right choice when he has to justify it to the fanboyz.

However, Obama, (he who has said little, and accomplished less) is absolutely awful.  He offers nothing to the people, nothing to the working class, nothing to women., nothing to seniors, just about nothing to those who are looking for health coverage.  His smooth tongued words about hope and change are pure drivel. So many words to say so little....not to mention the interminable ahs and ums.

I have a difficult choice ahead.  I'm leaning McCain even tho the thought of voting Republican really bothers me.

Obviously one could make the easy and logical assumption that the amount Obama gains far exceeds what he loses.

But the point that seems ultimately worth considering at this point is that the situation is not the same in reverse.  Even in the deepest and darkest backwater towns of No Quarter you won't find anyone so obsessed with Obama that they would refuse to vote for Clinton if Clinton chose Obama to be VP.  

After mulling it over I've decided that what I'm suggesting about some of Obama's supporters should not be considered true.  Or if it must be considered true, then one should be willing to consider that the truth of it is proof of the extremist instractable silliness of some of Obama's support.  An extremist intractability and silliness that would far outdo any of the most ardent PUMAs.

I have a feeling that he is going to regret not only taking the 10-day vacation, but waiting so long to name a VP.  With bad polling info preceding his naming of a VP, he does now risk having his pick look like it is being made from a position of weakness, not strength.

And, increasingly, it's beginning to look to me like he has bought his own hype and the media's infatuation, and has failed to realize that the voters are not on board with the plan.  He's approaching this as if winning in November is a fait accompli, and all he has to do is go through the motions and it will be his.  He ought to be working his butt off, making his case to the voters in concrete language, taking on McCain whenever and wherever - people appreciate someone who is working for their vote, not assuming it is inevitable.

RealClearPolitics (with no toss ups) and Electoral-Vote

you will see that as of today, McCain just has to flip IN (which always votes R) to his column and he wins.

Then remember back to the primaries at how Obama always polls BETTER before the vote than he actually performs.  Late deciders always went to Clinton.