mid-February's disasters.

It's a state with a big white working-class vote, one which - probably because of prejudice against a black candidate - inflicted terminal damage on Jesse Jackson's triumphant drive back in 1988. But current polls show Obama with a substantial lead in Wisconsin, and the Clinton campaign seems to be giving up on the state.

Mrs Clinton's campaign manager, Patty Solis Doyle, has quit, as has the campaign's number two, Mike Henry, and these changes have enhanced the overall impression of a reeling campaign.

The Clintons were supposed to be the supreme professionals in the art of winning elections, and they've certainly won significant comeback victories in big states like California, New York, and New Jersey. But the Obama campaign has been far more nimble in regrouping after defeats and building on victories.

Perhaps Hillary's biggest strategic mistake was in not divorcing Bill Clinton in 2001 and pressing forward into the presidential

campaign as Senator Hillary Rodham.

The campaign thus far has exploded the claim that Bill Clinton is still magic as a vote winner. Many Democrats have very hard feelings about him. Bill Clinton was not good for the Democratic Party when he was in the White House. As Barack Obama pointed out in a speech in Virginia Beach, "Keep in mind, we had Bill Clinton as president when, in '94, we lost the House, we lost the Senate, we lost governorships, we lost state houses."

On top of that Bill Clinton infuriated blacks in South Carolina by seemingly - albeit very mildly - race-baiting Obama. His slaps produced huge black majorities for Obama and angered many white liberals too.

Obama is now acting as the nominee, directly addressing the man who seems certain to be the Republican candidate, Senator John McCain. Mrs Clinton faces a hard time getting back into contention. Her only hope is that she can demonstrate many whites will never bring themselves to vote for a black man as president.