U.S. -- Super delegates are flying to Barack Obama. On Friday, the Illinois Senator all but erased Hillary Clinton's lead among the unpledged delegates who will decide who gets the Democratic nomination. But despite the fact that nothing appears to be working to Clinton's advantage, she is not giving up.
She released a television spot in West Virginia, a state she is expected to win on Tuesday. But a victory there will likely not be enough.
Friday's developments leave Clinton with 271 and-a-half superdelegates, to 271 for Obama. Still Clinton said she will press on in Kentucky and West Virginia for the next round of primaries.
Long-time Clinton associate and Hobart and William Smith Colleges President Mark Gearan is still confident about the New York Senator's prospects.
"When you look at the political calendar I look at the next four primaries. I think she'll probably win three out of those four. So this process is going on. I think it's good for the Party registering new voters and I have all the confidence in the world that it'll come together for November," Gearan said.
Gearan believes the rigors of the 2008 campaign will make the nominees from both parties better general election candidates.
Meantime, the dynamic of the race is shifting to an increasingly nasty contest between Obama and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain.
“Senator McCain is running for president to double down on George Bush's failed economic policies, I'm running to change them, and that's what will be a fundamental difference in the selection when I am the Democratic nominee for president,” Obama said.
That line came a day after Obama said McCain was losing his bearings for saying Obama's candidacy was endorsed by the terrorist group Hamas. The McCain campaign was furious, suggesting Obama was bringing attention to McCain's age. Campaigning with the Arizona Senator in New Jersey Friday, Senator Joe Lieberman gave McCain a clean bill of health.
Hillary Clinton's chances are dwindling as the race for the Democratic nomination nears an end. Her focus is now on getting her colleagues to get on her side and to win the superdelegate fight. But that fight is becoming more difficult as her once staunch supporters are beginning to back Obama. Nine more superdelegates pledged their support to Obama in just the last couple of days..
“This morning I personally checked John McCain's bearings. He has not lost any of them. They're really in great shape,” Lieberman said.
And McCain didn't back away from his earlier words. This time he criticized Obama for being willing to talk to the president of Iran.
“Obama wants to sit down and have negotiations and discussions with the person who just yesterday called Israel ‘a stinking corpse,’” McCain said.
A tame preview of what's to come if Obama and McCain fight it out in the general election.