WISHIN' AND HOPIN'

Well, well. Bob Herbert is feeling the pain.

Mr. Obama is betting that in the long run none of this will matter, that the most important thing is winning the White House, that his staunchest supporters (horrified at the very idea of a President McCain) will be there when he needs them.

He seems to believe that his shifts and twists and clever panders — as opposed to bold, principled leadership on important matters — will entice large numbers of independent and conservative voters to climb off the fence and run into his yard.

Maybe. But that’s a very dangerous game for a man who first turned voters on by presenting himself as someone who was different, who wouldn’t engage in the terminal emptiness of politics as usual.

Time flies and the Iowa caucuses seem a very long time ago.

Is it really too late to do something about this? Is there even the remotest possibility that party leaders could wake up, throw open the nominating convention, and enough superdelegates change their minds and throw their support to HRC, securing her the nomination?

Nah. But a girl can dream.