It will end today most likely.

Why?

Because Reed and Pelosi want it to end.

This has been one of the most rigorous primary races of my experience….or at least that I can remember. And as often as it scraped the bottom for decency and even-handedness, it did have its breakthroughs. Mainly, these came in the form of new democrats and young people becoming involved in the process.

What it will mean in the long term could be significant considering the narrow leads that decided the election in many states.

What if this concept of democratic politics can help transform the west, for example, into blue areas or at least purple. For many of us, that will suggest a new beginning—a new way to think about transformative politics.

Outside of Portland, Obama amassed a group of nearly one hundred thousand young people to come out and see him.

In other parts of the West, too, the caucuses showed a tremendous shift in numbers of new voters and in some primaries there was evidence of Independents turning out and even some cross-over voters where primaries allowed it.

All very exciting news!

At the very least the attention given this Primary season will not be readily forgotten.

Why am I talking about the Primary in the past tense?

Because the scuttlebutt is going around that it’s time for Hillary to step aside.

And tomorrow, it is rumored that her big supporters will be convening for a big meeting.

And it’s expected that despite all the rumors to the contrary, the candidate will not buck the party’s wishes….

The bottom line is the delegates and most of them, in the end, the ones not committed, will come out for Obama.

It is time now to come together as a Party.

Our work is cut out.

McCann has been hard at work raising money and trying to foil Obama with nasty and pointed remarks about his inexperience.

It has started early and will not be over until the days that the last voter pulls his switch or writes the name of his candidate on a ballot.

The question is whether the candidate will have a breather in between?

He certainly could use one—especially in a primary season that seemed to go on forever.

One thing, Obama cannot be Jimmy Carter or Dukakis. He cannot be above the fray or wind up looking like a disconnected intellectual who doesn’t want to mix it up.

Even in the new politics, down and dirty is to be expected.

He’s got to show that he has the right stuff when push comes to shove.

McCain is going to try to knock him off in the opening rounds.

Of course, telling the “believers” that Obama knows nothing about Iraq is not quite so convincing when you have trouble differentiating between Sunni and Shia’ yourself..

And McCain has to show that he knows something about economics.

He doesn’t do that by echoing the words of a conservative politician named Gramm who’s claim to fame was that he was fundamentally isolationist during Clinton’s run and who is on the payroll of a Swiss bank implicated in the recent mortgage foreclosure disaster. All told, Gramm’s economic philosophy has virtually nothing to do with the needs of today’s voters; and it will paint McCain even further into his corner….

This doesn’t make John the Mr. Compassion that the voters are looking for.

If any one thing is clear, it is that the people are once again looking to government to care for the people.

If it is perceived that McCain doesn’t measure up according to the criteria that the voters have set, it won’t matter what he says; on the other hand, if the Evangelicals come together to cast him as the savior, it might be a whole new ball game.

Les Aaron