April 7 Update--This and That

Picking up from where I left off some time ago….

Sorry about not posting more, but we are in a bit of a lull. However, there have been some political developments and a few non-political ones to point to, so here we go:

There is increasing pressure on Senator Hillary Clinton of New York to end her presidential campaign to seek the nomination of the Democratic Party. This has been going on for some time now but is only increasing, as Democrats are getting a little nervous.

Her opponent, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, leads by 135 delegates and under the party's rules which award delegates proportionately to the votes in the primary and caucus elections, there is little likelihood she can catch him unless she scores high double digit triumphs in the remaining ten contests. Most people think that's doubtful.

The big election now is in Pennsylvania on April 22. It is a state in which Senator Clinton should do well given its demographics of union workers, downscale voters, and women. Both candidates have been working the state over the past weeks. The large lead that Senator Clinton began with after her wins in Texas and Ohio on March 4 have diminished. The race is tightening; one poll has Senator Clinton up by two, another by 11, and yet another has Senator Obama up by two.

Anecdotal reports on this primary are all over the map. Some analysts are saying that internal numbers in the Pennsylvania polls show Senator Clinton dropping among white males. They argue that her claim that she landed under sniper fire during a trip to Tuzla in the 1990s as First Lady, which later proved to be exaggerated, is hurting her badly.

Her chief strategist, Mark Penn, left his role in Senator Clinton's campaign. He stepped aside because of his meeting with the Colombian government concerning a bilateral free trade agreement between Bogotá and the United States. Senator Clinton opposes the idea and Mark Penn had to issue an apology for the incident.

All in all, one could look at these signs and see a campaign in trouble although it is an eerily similar situation to the one right before the New Hampshire Primary back in January. Then, it appeared as if Senator Clinton was going to get blown out, but she fashioned a win and suddenly the campaign was righted again.

Same thing with Ohio and Texas-wins she needed and wins she got as she was being pressured to quit, something she says she is not prepared to do.

So I can't make out exactly what's happening in Pennsylvania; I do believe she is still leading. Earlier predictions were that Senator Obama wouldn't win but one county in the state. If he wins in Pennsylvania, then the whole thing is over, and Senator Clinton will have lost her main claim to keep running-that she wins in the big industrial states where he cannot. But if he does….then it's all about the exit speech.

There is still two weeks to go before the election, so we should see whether or not Senator Clinton could maintain or expand upon a lead she may or may not have. Sound confusing? Me, too.

Then there are reports that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is talking to Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican Party nominee, about becoming his running mate.

Seriously.

Former Republican Party strategist Dan Senor told the ABC News Network that the Secretary of State is "actively" courting the McCain campaign and points to a meeting she held with a bunch of Republican conservative activists as evidence.

Many conservatives are skeptical as she was once touted for the presidential nomination and people were even ready to begin campaigns to get her to run. She turned them down, and given that she has never run for elective office, and since it appears that most African-American voters are going to back Senator Obama, it may not be such a wise choice.

This could be one of those Washington stories where someone connects two dots and announces they have solved the puzzle. It's possible, I suppose, but not very likely, IMHO. Honestly, I would be very surprised if she was actively considering such a candidacy.

Well, more later, so stay tuned, and go to our website, www.voanews.com for the latest on the ups and downs and ins and outs of the election.

I do feel that things are coming to a head, though, and that head might be April 22. We'll see.