Paul_Yates's Blog

Democratic superdelegate Michael Thurmond told me that Hillary Clinton's Pennsylvania victory makes a combination with Barack Obama inevitable on the Democratic ticket this fall. The assessment from Georgia's Labor Commissioner and Clinton supporter comes as the Democratic candidates move toward May 6 primary votes in North Carolina, where Sen. Obama has a comfortable lead, and Indiana, where the contest is very close.

Kirk Dornbush, a Southern fundraising co-chair for the Obama campaign, said the talk was "premature," with more primary contests to come. Assuming one would agree to the second spot with the other, the matchup would answer superdelegate prayers of avoiding a make-or-break decision at the Democratic National Convention.

No one would like such a settlement more than Mike Thurmond. The commissioner told me he owes his political career to crucial support from the Clintons in the 1990s. He has remained loyal despite enormous pressure to move his support to the Obama column. Mr. Thurmond has reserved the right to change his convention vote if warranted by circumstances.