Last Rites for Hillary?

"6. Many of her supporters -- and even some of her staffers -- would be relieved (and even delighted) if she quit the race; none of his supporters or staff feel that way. Some think she just might throw in the towel in June if it appears efforts to fight on would hurt Obama's general election chances.

"7. The Rev. Wright story notwithstanding, the media still wants Obama to be the nominee -- and that has an impact every day."

Have you been reading all the pieces about Hillary's first lady calendars? The New Republic's Michelle Cottle has:

"Beyond any salacious tidbits, what reporters and political watchers seem to be looking for most desperately in Hillary's newly released White House schedules is some sense of who she is . . .

"I find this obsession with a candidate's inner life bizarre and annoying (especially after all the absurd heart-gazing we've endured during the Bush years.) Sorry, but I don't feel compelled to know what my presidential candidate is feeling any more than I crave a candidate who seems like a regular guy with whom it'd be fun to hang out and have a beer. I like a commander-in-chief who can keep his/her emotions under control -- possibly even under wraps -- and who is a damn site more dignified and qualified for the job than I, my friends, or any other Average Joe. I want a president who is better than I am, not one who makes me feel better about myself. That's what Oprah's for.

"But American politics being what they are, the fact that, god knows how many months into this campaign, Team Hillary still hasn't managed to make the public feel like we know its gal strikes me as a not insignificant problem."

The Obama speech is still being debated -- a healthy sign, in my view -- and Rich Lowry thinks he pulled a fast one:

"In his hour of political need, Barack Obama went to his base -- the media. He delivered a speech about the nation's racial divisions that couldn't possibly get anything but lavish praise from the press, burying for now the controversy over his longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. A gifted writer, Obama can plumb depths most politicians can't, and he spoke truths about the state of race relations in America in an unusually frank and subtle way." Still, "in the end, Obama made the case for the respectability of a man who is a hater."

Peggy Noonan likes the Obama address, and makes a fascinating point about media coverage:

"I thought Barack Obama's speech was strong, thoughtful and important. Rather beautifully, it was a speech to think to, not clap to. It was clear that's what he wanted, and this is rare.

"It seemed to me as honest a speech as one in his position could give within the limits imposed by politics . . .

"It is assumed now that a candidate must say a silly, boring line -- 'And families in Michigan matter!' or 'What I stand for is affordable quality health care!' -- and the audience will clap. The line and the applause make, together, the eight-second soundbite that will be used tonight on the news, and seen by the people. This has been standard politico-journalistic procedure for 20 years.