Crossposted from Flopping Aces

So the big news today was that Obama clinched the nomination. Can’t call it that big of news tho, the media all but declared him the chosen one months ago:

Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.

Campaigning on an insistent call for change, Obama outlasted former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a historic race that sparked record turnout in primary after primary, yet exposed deep racial divisions within the party.

The AP tally was based on public commitments from delegates as well as more than a dozen private commitments. It also included a minimum number of delegates Obama was guaranteed even if he lost the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana later in the day.

More here.

Instead of Hillary conceding, she said she would think about her options.

Hillary Rodham Clinton says she will consult with party leaders and supporters to determine her next steps now that Barack Obama has enough delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination.

In a speech in New York, Clinton told supporters that: “This has been a long campaign and I will be making no decisions tonight.” As she spoke, supporters chanted “Denver, Denver,” thinking ahead to the site of the party’s convention in August.

Earlier in the day, Clinton told congressional colleagues she would be open to joining Obama’s ticket as his vice presidential nominee. But in her speech, the former first lady stopped short of ending or suspending her campaign. She did say she was committed to a united Democratic Party moving forward.

Translation…she is in it till Denver, or until some big news…cough video cough….comes out.

Go Hillary!

The VP stuff is nonsense. At least I hope it is.

And McCain came out swinging with a speech that was less then spectacular. Here is Levin on the speech:

Not to offend those who might be offended, but this speech is a mash and tough to digest. You have to get through the self-congratulatory praise of independence and commander-in-chief pose from the Senate, then you have to try to follow the inconsistency of some of his big-government ideas vs. his anti-big-government rhetoric, and his inconsistency even on his supposed strength — the surge in Iraq vs. closing GITMO and conferring additional rights on the detainees. I am also put off by some of the anti-Bush stuff. Distancing himself from Bush is one thing, but he almost exclusively (as best I can tell) criticizes him, giving Bush little credit (tax cuts, Supreme Court appointments and yes, the surge, which Bush ordered not McCain).

More here.

Meanwhile Obama doesn’t just want to “change” America. He wants to REMAKE it:

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth. This was the moment — this was the time — when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves and our highest ideals. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

Wow, all this time we weren’t caring for the sick nor helping those with no jobs. Who knew?

And we can take a guess at what his vision for “remaking” this country is going to be. Two words….

Karl Marx.

Oh, while you ponder Obama’s greatness take a gander at some of those who had so much influence on him.