Skipper

After writing a book entitled Madame President, Suzanne Goldenberg must be a bit pissed off that her subject has failed to fulfill the implied prediction of her title. Today she analyses why Hillary failed to make it. She identifies: a message out of step with a party constituency desperate for radical change; the failure to devise a Plan B should Obama be still around after Super Tuesday; a failure to build a grassroots organisation as Obama did; mismanagement of funds; and the mistakes made by hubby Bill, who seems to have lost his sureness of touch politically.

I would add the point made by James Rubin on 'PM' today, that she failed to organise for the early caucus contests and enabled Obama to establish a momentum which he went on to sustain and improve on. Add to that the fact that the Illinois Senator is a truly remarkable politician, the sort who only comes along once or twice in a century. He not only has a distinctive message but the skills to project it brilliantly as well.

So what now for Hillary? One suggestion is she might fancy a run at Senate majority leader, a post currently held by Harry Reid. Maybe this will appeal but I still think she'll go for the ticket with Obama; what is more Obama needs her to negate the 40% of Hillary supporters who say they'll vote for McCain and not the perdon who bested their heroine.

Obama should overcome the 72 year old McCain in a year when the Republican president has negative ratings of 70% but he has weaknesses. Firstly, he did not win in a final glorious burst for the line- rather he crawled over it with defeats in Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvannia, Indiana and Kentucky. He clearly lacks support among the white working classes. Secondly his angry spats with Hillary have provided McCain with an arsenal of ammunition for the November battle. Thirdly, he is vulnerable to the kind of psychopath in which America seems to specialize: the loony, racist assassin. As I have mentioned before, sotto voce, the unworthy thought that Hillary best remaining chance of being president is if Obama stops a bullet either between now and November or once installed as Vice President. I do pray I'm wrong on this bit of my analysis though.