Obama now the presumptive nominee
Despite the campaigns being held against the backdrop of what Barack Obama called a “rough couple of weeks” he decisively won North Carolina and came within a whisker of also winning Indiana. He is now the the presumptive nominee.
Hillary Clinton meanwhile has cancelled all public appearances today, including scheduled interviews on morning TV shows, as speculation grows that she will soon concede that the race is over for her. If she doesn’t, and last night she talked of going on, then she can expect diminishing financial support as well as being handed defeat as superdelegates swing behind the presumptive nominee.
Barack Obama has now won 32 of 47 contests; is 34 pledged delegates short of a majority; and just 173 total delegates shy of the winning line. It’s clear now that the Democratic Party will unite behind Barack Obama and focus on soundly defeating John McCain in November.