Can we call it? Probably not, but it seems like Senator Barack Obama is the Democratic Party candidate of the people. Obama is on the cover of the Economist, the authoritative  international news magazine, and Hillary Clinton’s campaign seems to be swinging wildly.

The trouble may be that this surge has come too late. If Obama fails to reach the delegate count he needs to win his party’s nomination before the end of the primaries in June, the whole process gets thrown to super delegates, 796 Democratic Party machinists, who most analysts think would be more likely to support Hillary than the average voter.

All that said, much is made of polls that suggest Obama has a better chance of John McCain, who has all but taken the Republican nomination. Indeed, if Hillary can be vilified, McCain, for his part, sure can piss of Christian conservatives and other right wing elements.

Obama comes out the cleanest in today’s standings, but, as noted in most every news source, the reason he comes out the cleanest – less of a voting record, focus on ‘hope’ – may also be his downfall – inexperienced and impractical.