Clinton after her win in West Virginia.

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Hillary Clinton is sort of starting to look like the last guest at a dinner party who doesn’t recognize that it’s time to go.

Her win in West Virginia is being called “large but largely symbolic.” That’s because the numbers just don’t add up. In West Virginia she won 20 delegates. Barack Obama won 8, a net gain of only 12 for her.

In fact, Obama’s lead over Clinton has actually increased in the last week despite her big West Virginia win. He picked up two more superdelegates today, a sign that the Democratic leaders know exactly where this thing is headed. The Associated Press reports Obama has picked up an additional 30 superdelegates in the past week. He now leads Clinton by 11; she once led him by more than 100.

One of these new Obama superdelegates is Roy Romer, former Democratic Party chairman, who told reporters, “This race, I believe, is over.” He says only Clinton can decide when to withdraw, but that it’s time to focus on the general election.

Obama is also being endorsed by three former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission, one of whom was appointed by Hillary’s husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Rubbing salt in the wound, this afternoon Obama received the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a leading abortion rights group which has supported Hillary Clinton throughout her entire political career.

All this seems to beg the question: What part of “go away” doesn’t Hillary Clinton understand?

Here’s my question to you: If you could interview Senator Hillary Clinton, what would you ask her?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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George W. Bush may do as much damage to John McCain’s chances of being elected as Jeremiah Wright does to Barack Obama’s, according to results of a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Turns out President Bush might do more damage to John McCain’s campaign than the Reverend Jeremiah Wright does to Barack Obama’s.

A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds 38% of likely voters say McCain’s ties to the president make them less likely to vote for the presumptive nominee in November. 33% says Obama’s relationship with Wright has the same effect.

However, there is more of an upside when it comes to the relationship with President Bush, with 7% of those surveyed saying they’re more likely to vote for McCain because of his association with Mr. Bush. That’s compared to only 1% who say they’re more likely to vote for Obama because of Wright.

The pollsters say it’s also important to look at how these personal associations affect the candidates among their bases. If you do that, it looks like Wright may do more harm to Obama. That’s because 19% of Democrats say they’re less likely to vote for Obama because of his ties to Wright, while just 10% of Republicans say they’re less likely to vote for McCain because of his ties to President Bush.

However, among the general electorate, the two appear to do the same amount of damage. In particular, President Bush may hurt McCain’s ability to attract Democrats and independents.

Here’s my question to you: Which is more damaging to the campaigns: President Bush’s relationship with John McCain or Reverend Wright’s association with Barack Obama?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Hillary Clinton is expected to win big tomorrow in West Virginia. A new poll there shows her leading Barack Obama by 34 points. Clinton remains strong among working-class whites, women and older voters – and those demographics should play to her advantage in West Virginia as well as next week in Kentucky.

But, how much does it really matter? Obama seems to have this thing pretty much in the bag. He leads Clinton in overall delegates, states won, popular vote… and now for the first time, in superdelegates. You may remember, at the beginning of the year, Clinton led the superdelegate race by more than 100.

Clinton is vowing to stay in the race until someone gets enough delegates to clinch the nomination. Her campaign is also pushing the idea that she’s “within striking distance” of winning the popular vote, which should make her the nominee – even though the rules are clear – the nomination is won with delegates, not the popular vote. It’s clear that Clinton has a steep road to climb for any chance at the nomination. Her campaign is also confirming that she is now $20 million in debt.

For its part, the Obama camp seems to have its sights set on November already. Instead of waiting for election night results in West Virginia tomorrow, Barack Obama will travel to Missouri, a swing state in the general election. Next week, he’s headed to Florida. It’s also worth noting that the tone of introductory speeches at his events has turned much more partisan, focusing in on John McCain.

Here’s my question to you: Is it possible for a landslide victory in West Virginia to put Hillary Clinton back in the race?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

For all those like Mitt Romney who said, when talking about Barack Obama, “The presidency of the United States is not an internship,” consider this.

The young guy with not nearly as much political experience is on the verge of toppling one of the most powerful political names of the last 50 years, Hillary Clinton. For all her claims of having more experience, the relative newcomer proved to have a lot more moxie.

She said “experience.” He said “change.” Voters bought change. He planned beyond Super Tuesday and paid attention to the caucuses. She pretty much ignored the caucuses and assumed she would be the nominee the day after Super Tuesday.

When she wasn’t, she was in trouble. Poor planning on the ground and a shortage of money immediately put her at a disadvantage for the rest of the way. She relied on friends and people who were loyal to her. In time, as things began to sour, there was friction and key people left. Her husband hurt her – some say a lot.

As things got worse, she grew more desperate. The kitchen sink strategy appeared. So did demands to count the elections in Michigan and Florida – elections that are invalid. So did false claims about things like her trip to Bosnia.

And all along, she failed to recognize the overriding theme of this election year. The people in this country are sick and tired of their government. They want “change.” How could someone with so much “experience” not see that?

Here’s my question to you: How will history view the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

“And the winner is”…. Barack Obama.

At least that’s according to the cover of the latest issue of Time magazine. There seems to be a collective sigh of relief that this race between Obama and Hillary Clinton is all but over. Many believe it’s just a question now of how Hillary Clinton will choose to make her exit. Will it be graceful? Or will it be something else?

This might give us an idea. Beneath the surface there are things lurking that could taint this sense of celebration and unification of the Democratic Party. Not only is Hillary refusing to go quietly, she’s refusing to go at all. And despite her repeated assurances that she will be a team player in the fall, Clinton is still out there making some pretty incendiary remarks about race.

Clinton told USA Today she will be the stronger nominee because she appeals to a wider coalition of voters. She said, “Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and whites in both states [meaning Indiana and North Carolina] who had not completed college were supporting me.” Clinton says this shows an emerging pattern… that whites are voting for her. The Obama camp calls these statements untrue and disappointing.

Then there was Clinton supporter Paul Begala right here on CNN Tuesday night. He said that Democrats couldn’t win in November with just, “eggheads and African-Americans.” This all makes it seem like there’s a long way to go before the Democratic Party can make any claims to being united.

Here’s my question to you: Are there wounds in the Democratic Party that just won’t heal?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Now that Barack Obama appears on the verge of becoming the Democratic nominee, the buzz about a so-called “dream team” is starting up again.

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos says that there are “intermediaries” discussing the possibility of an Obama-Clinton ticket. And he thinks Clinton “would be under some pressure and would like to accept.” Former congressman Harold Ford also says an Obama-Clinton ticket is something the Democratic Party is going to have to seriously consider in the next few weeks.

There’s even a group called “Vote Both” that’s trying to push for such a ticket. It’s seen as a way to unite the party after an often bitter campaign. A recent poll found a majority of both Clinton and Obama supporters like the idea.

But, not so fast. Obama’s campaign says the Illinois senator is still focusing on the upcoming races and undecided superdelegates, that it’s premature to talk about running mates.

The Clinton campaign says it hasn’t had any discussions with the Obama camp about the ticket, and spokesman Howard Wolfson says he hasn’t heard Clinton express any interest in such a ticket.

Some Democrats aren’t so sure it’s a good idea. One strategist who supports Clinton told Reuters if Obama picks her as his number two, it would counter his message of change. The same person said it might not be “all that useful” to Clinton’s political future to be vice president. Instead she could have “an enormous influence” in the Senate over a long period of time.

Here’s my question to you: Should Barack Obama offer Hillary Clinton the number two spot on the ticket as a way of getting her to quit the race now?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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The demand for fuel globally is outpacing the supply, which is one of the reasons oil prices have nearly doubled in just the last year. (PHOTO CREDIT: AP PHOTO)

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

If the cost of gasoline is hurting Americans now at about $3.61 a gallon, imagine what would happen if it reaches $7 or $8 a gallon in the next couple of years.

While Hillary Clinton and John McCain pander to voters with a proposed gas tax holiday that will never see the light of day, Goldman Sachs is out with a report that oil prices could reach $200 a barrel within two years.

The demand for fuel globally is outpacing the supply, which is one of the reasons oil prices have nearly doubled in just the last year. This prediction from Goldman Sachs, along with a weaker dollar and concerns about declining production, helped push oil to a record of more than $123 a barrel today.

Meanwhile, the Energy Department says strong demand from places like China, India, Russia, Brazil and the Middle East will support high prices and keep global oil demand growing by about 1.2 million barrels a day this year.

The government says it expects gasoline prices to peak at about $3.73 a gallon in June, but some private analysts think gas will go even higher – topping $4 a gallon this summer.

So what’s our next president going to do about all this? Clinton and McCain want to cut 18 cents off the price of a gallon of gas for a period of three months, which would save you a total of between $30 and $70. It’s the same old story from the Washington politicians… slap a bandage on an open wound and hope the public doesn’t notice it’s still bleeding.

Here’s my question to you: Which candidate has a plan for dealing with gas at $7 or $8 a gallon within two years?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Sen. Hillary Clinton at her Indiana Primary rally last night. Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say. (PHOTO CREDIT: AP PHOTO)

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

“The campaign may go on but the contest is now over: Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for president.”

Democratic strategist Bob Shrum tells The New York Times that now the only decision left for Hillary Clinton is how she wants to end this.

New York Daily News columnist Michael Goodwin puts it this way: “Unless Obama falls off a cliff, or the Reverend Jeremiah Wright pushes him,” he will be the nominee. Another paper calls Clinton “toast.”

All this points to a pretty grim scenario for Hillary Clinton. Her 14-point loss to Obama in North Carolina coupled with one of the narrowest wins of the primary season in Indiana mean Obama woke up this morning with a larger lead in both pledged delegates and the popular vote.

Plus she’s out of money. In the past month, Clinton was forced to loan her campaign $6.4 million out of her own pocket.

Then there are the superdelegates, who could now start to move in larger numbers to Obama. Or even superdelegates who currently support Clinton and could switch to Obama. Finally, The New York Times suggests that senior Democrats who support Clinton – like Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell or New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine – could now ask her to consider quitting.

On all of this, Hillary Clinton is absolutely tone deaf. Last night she told supporters, “it’s full-speed on to the White House.” This is denial in full bloom.

Here’s my question to you: What will Hillary Clinton do now?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Here’s something that might surprise you: After a 16-month, often bruising fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, most Democrats aren’t eager for either candidate to drop out of the race. After all the contests and debates, speeches and TV commercials, fliers and phone calls, the Democrats want the suffering to continue.

A new USA Today-Gallup poll finds 60% of Democrats say Clinton and Obama should keep campaigning. Of those who want a speedier resolution, 23% say Clinton should give it up and only 15% say Obama should drop out.

There had been calls for Clinton to get out of the race a while back, but they’ve quieted down some since her strong performances in Ohio and Pennsylvania. It’s looking increasingly unlikely the party will have a nominee until the uncommitted superdelegates weigh in.

This poll also shows most Democrats think the superdelegates should commit to a candidate by the end of June, which is what the party chairman Howard Dean is calling for. Only about a quarter say the superdelegates should be able to decide at the party’s convention in August.

All this seems to suggest Democrats aren’t too worried about the Clinton-Obama contest tearing the party apart. Instead, there seems to be a willingness to allow the rest of the voters to have their say.

Here’s my question to you: Why can’t the Democrats make up their minds?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Obama says Clinton scolded him about Iran before.

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Hillary Clinton sounds too much like President Bush. That’s Barack Obama’s take on Clinton’s threat to “totally obliterate” Iran if it attacks Israel.

Clinton initially made the comments a couple weeks ago, saying: “I want the Iranians to know that if I’m the president, we will attack Iran. In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them.”

Obama says this isn’t the language we need right now. He says it’s too similar to the kinds of things President Bush says, what Obama calls “bluster and saber rattling.” Obama says Clinton is changing the rules right before an election. He said she scolded him about Iran before, saying “we shouldn’t speculate about Iran, we’ve got to be cautious when we’re running for president.”

Clinton’s not backing away from her comment. She says she wants to make it “abundantly clear” to Iran that if they attacked our ally Israel, they would face a “tremendous cost.” However, Clinton adds that “nobody wants to go to war with Iran.” She refuses to say whether she would order a nuclear response.

Here’s my question to you: Is Hillary Clinton’s comment that the U.S. could “obliterate” Iran if it attacked Israel with nuclear weapons appropriate?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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