Here We Go Again!

Time is running out for Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. Their duel for the Democratic presidential nomination is close to finished. Indiana and North Carolina today hold the final big group of pledged delegates before the process ends June 3rd. Today's contests won't solve the nomination puzzle any more than Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio did.

Finally, in the home stretch of this latest battle, do we hear talk of issues the American people have as concerns. The squabble over a gas tax holiday is a line of demarcation between Clinton and Obama we've rarely seen. Even this, however, doesn't change expectations for both. Clinton must win Indiana, decisively some say, and Obama must do the same in North Carolina.

Then what? We'll pretty much watching the same immovable landscape as before. The only thing that changes is the slow drip of superdelegates, most moving toward Obama. It does seem more likely that in the end they will decide who runs against John McCain. Then there remains the thorny issue of what to do about Florida and Michigan. Keep in mind when the Clinton camp does their delegate count, both states are included. Assuming she doesn't quit the race before Denver, she'll fight for their inclusion. 

At some point, party elders will have to take a long look at this 2008 election cycle, and decide if the process needs to change. Of course, a lot will depend on whether the Democrats win the White House. Maybe it shouldn't. A long, drawn out nomination process eventually burns out many of its participants.

To say nothing of the voters.