I guess Pennsylvania didn’t go that well for Obama. It was wierd to watch though. For six weeks all the media talked about in regards to expectations was that Hilliary was sure to win in the state, and that barring Obama’s death or the second coming of Christ, her campaign was doomed. Then, the INSTANT they called it for Clinton the coverage turned into how this was a disaster for Obama, and that Clinton was pulling together some amazing wave of support. It makes me wonder why all the must win game changing states are ones in which Hiliary has a known advantage, and are next to impossible for him to win. The same rule does not apparently apply to Obama, as will surely be the case regarding North Carolina, a state that favors Obama in a similar way that Pennsylvania favored Clinton. Somehow Obama’s victories are considered layups, while every state won by Clinton is an amazing last minute three point shot. I just don’t get it.

My only theory is that somehow, as a culture, we just can’t let Hillary go. An Obama victory in the Primary effectively ends Clinton dominance over the party. We, as a nation, have spent 15 years invested in the Clinton story, and the foreshadowing of a Hilliary Clinton presidency began back then. We know them. To many of us, they ARE the democratic party. It’s very hard for everyone to let the story end, without the long assumed Hilliary-Clinton-as-President climax. The story is too good. That is why everyone needs Obama to throw some late game knockout punch. It means nothing, really. Obama has this won by the numbers, but as far as the long time Clinton narrative is concerned, America needs closure.

The worst part for Obama is that this has gone on so long, that the voters have solidified to some degree behind which ever flavor of democrat they prefer. The old story, or the new. And it will be pretty hard for him to change the minds of people at this late stage in the game. He is ahead. More people support him, as both the polls and the reality of his delegate and popular vote standing clearly show. But with that ceiling, it will be hard for him to pull off the sort of crowd pleasing smackdown the democrats need to finally let the Clintons go. To show them, beyond the numbers, that this thing is over.

And Indiana is it. He can actually win Indiana. It’s the only one of these “game ending” states that doesn’t start off with Obama at some comically large disadvantage. So hopefully this will be it. The big cathartic moment when we can put this primary, and the Clintons, behind us.