As the US Democratic Presidential Nomination enters its final lap, it is still hard to say who has the edge. Although Barack Obama has the lead, there are still a few more States that have to make their choice. But as they enter the final lap of this historic race, it seems one of them is already making possibly irreversible blunders. Just like in a close fight in basketball game, errors prove costly in the closing minutes or even seconds before a game ends. And in this case, Hillary Clinton’s mistakes may prove the deal-breaker.
She recently cited the assassination of a famous candidate, in the context of the Democratic Nomination going well into the month of June. Obama for now has the apparent lead. Probably feeling the pressure of mounting calls for her to quit, Clinton cited Robert Kennedy’s assassination in June of 1968, in reference to the former Presidential aspirant’s campaigning well into June. Of course, the Obama camp saw a golden oppor-tunity to use this against the Senator from New York. What was she thinking? Referring to political assassi-nations during a campaign is just never done. The attribution to the Kennedy assassinations at a time when Ted Kennedy is currently battling brain cancer was a political PR blunder. Was Clinton raising the possibility that anything can happen in a campaign, even an assassination? Experts say the miscalculation may eventually cost her the historic Democratic nomination.
But being the seasoned politician that Hillary is, damage control in the form of well-wishing for the ailing Kennedy patriarch was quick to come out. But the damage might just prove irreversible as those who used to support Clinton have thrown in their hats with Obama. By the first week of June the Democratic Presidential Candidate would have been announced.. And by the looks of things, it seems the first African-American presidential candidate is well on his way.
But, you never know. Stranger things have happened in US Presidential race history. One need only cite the 1948 US Presidential race between Truman and Dewey. Truman was widely believed to lose the race with a newspaper already headlining Dewey’s victory. In the end, it became the most stunning election upset in US history. Will Hillary Clinton be able to pull one off as well? We await June with gusto. And if things swing Barack Obama’s way, history will once again be made, as John McCain, if elected President of the United States also becomes the oldest one to be inaugurated for a first term, at the age of 72. An exciting November awaits.