Barack Obama Likely to Win Democratic Nomination Tonight.

I've been watching MSNBC for much of the day and saw super delegate after super delegate support Obama. Thus the number he needs to go over the top keeps dropping like the temperature here in Colorado in January. As of right now the number is down to 11.

If things go as we expect tonight Barack Obama will be the first African-American nominee for a major presidential party in American history. As well as the first viable African-American nominee for president amongst all the western countries of the world. I would love to be back in Cote D' Ivoire, West Africa again to hear the talk about this moment of history amongst my friends and "family" back there. He now stands on the precipice of being the first African-American president in the United States. He has at least a 50/50 chance of making that earth-shattering history. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves too much as tonight itself is making momentous history.

Who would have thought that he would have beaten the massive Clinton machinery to win this nomination? I supported him right out of the gate but then wandered a bit in who I supported but right before the Iowa primary I came back to him more supportive than ever.

In other news Hillary Clinton has said today that she is open to the vice-presidential selection which is being a little pushy and stepping on his moment. It seems that she is trying to take away the news headline for him tomorrow. She needs to give him his spot-light tonight and give him time to consider who he wants on his ticket. Being pushy isn't the best way to get the nod from the nominee. It seems to me that her chances diminish if he feels like he's being forced to pick her.

For what it's worth, I do not think it's a wise choice to pick her for the number 2 slot. It's not because I don't like her (which I don't) but because of the rancorous things that she has said about him and he about her during the primary campaign that will be hard to explain and defend to voters this summer/fall. In addition, having Hillary in the V.P. position might under-cut Obama's presidential power if she is actively out front in the press acting like the co-president.

And don't forget when you get Hillary you get Bill and he'll want influence on an Obama presidency and administration as well. And that means having to know exactly who those donors are to Bill's presidential library and foundation. I wonder if the Clinton's would agree to those terms but that would all be information that the Obama people would need to know before being comfortable with picking her.

Proponents of Obama picking Hillary say that she can deliver her supporters for him in November but that's not a given since the chess board will greatly shift once it's officially Obama vs. McCain. Also, having her on the ticket could energize the Republican base which is currently rather factored and disillusioned with the party. Plus, I would submit that it is possible to win over those supporters without the tension and awkwardness of having Hillary directly on the ticket. You can pick a female Hillary supporter, a male Hillary supporter or a female Obama supporter and I think he'd have a great shot at winning over her people.

I am not one who believes that all of the female Hillary supporters are a block that will not think for themselves about who is the best choice this November between the two candidates. I realize that it's heartbreaking to not see your candidate win especially after you have worked so hard to see them win. That being said, I urge everyone to look at the big picture, look down the road and picture what it would it would mean to vote in McCain. He would be devastating to women's rights and could possibly tip the supreme court in favor of over-turning a woman's right to choose if he has the chance to pick a new supreme court justice.

I really hope that Barack takes his time with the selection process, gets plenty of advice and doesn't rush to make a decision or allow himself to be forced into selecting someone. Either way I really hope that Hillary supporters will see the necessity of keeping a Bush loyalist out of the White House. We simply can not let the disastrous policies of the past 8 years to continue.