Perhaps the news hasn’t sunk in that the media declared the race over, but for now Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers are holding up quite nicely. It will be a tad embarrassing for Barack Obama if Clinton thumps him in a couple of primaries. (This may explain why he’s off the trail for awhile and focusing on the general election–no use giving her the satisfaction of a spirited defense or depriving himself of a built-in excuse.)
Truth be told, lots and lots of Democrats are devoted to her, which makes her leaving the race that much harder. And it makes it all the more important that Obama settle the Michigan and Florida delegate fight with excessive care, do everything he can to refrain from unduly embarrassing her, and ignore her jibes about electability. No use arguing with poll numbers and giving visibility to her (annoyingly accurate) perception that the composition of Obama’s base, at least for now, is a recipe for problems in the fall.