She’s melting, melting.

Ben Smith at Politico.com is on to it, almost:

Barack Obama’s landslide victories in three mid-sized states Saturday suggest that he has the opportunity build a significant lead over Hillary Rodham Clinton among the locked-in “pledged” delegates before the candidates face off in the big battlegrounds of Ohio and Texas on March 4.

I would go further.

There is serious Obamamentum at work here. Old Media, which is either still in the tank for Hillary, wants a protracted horse race, or can hardly believe what it is witnessing (probably a combo of all of the above), is papering over an Obama tidal wave that will sweep Hillary Clinton away in the coming weeks — perhaps even before Ohio’s March 4 primary.

Excuse the troubling imagery it inspires, but last night’s results show that Hillary was on the receiving end of three first-order butt-whippings at the hands of the candidate I refer to as BOOHOO (Barack O-bomba Overseas Hussein “Obambi” Obama) –

Louisiana:

Nebraska:

Washington state:

Oh “what a world, what a world.”

Coming up Tuesday: Three more BOOHOO blowouts — Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Even if Mrs. Clinton wins Maine today, which is by no means a sure thing, by Tuesday night that will be a distant memory (Update: Not any kind of memory — Obama Wins Maine).

Vultures circle. The activists who typically dominate Democratic primaries have lost their fear of her, and grown in their loathing.

Write it down: The only way Hillary can win the nomination is if she steals it. She could conceivably do that by having the DNC “rehabilitate” Michigan and Florida with their current results (BOOHOO will beat her like a drum in both states if the do-overs being considered are held), and by rolling and cajoling super-delegates. But if she steals it, she will ultimately learn that the damage done in doing so made the prize not worth winning.

Yes, I’m officially predicting that Hillary Clinton will not be the next President of the United States.

Soon, barring a “successful” theft, her most important priorities will be how to avoid a non-embarrassing appearance at the convention, and a non-humiliating exit from the national stage.

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UPDATE, 7:15 p.m.: Welcome Instapundit readers! The initial Instalanche took down the server, and only now have all links been restored within the post, but we “should” be good to go from here.

UPDATE 2: I did this update earlier, but it vaporized in the Instalanche —

Panic:

A senior Democrat who has discussed Clinton campaign thinking with a member of her inner circle said: “The Clintons are in a state of panic. She has to win both Texas and Ohio.”

Not gonna happen. There would be no surprise here if Obama wins both states by 60-40 or more.

For readers and commenters who think “stealing” is too strong a word, especially how it’s seen by rank and file Dems, I bring you Donna Brazile (at the same link):

….. the prospect of a deal behind closed doors, that could brush aside the views of voters in the primaries, is already creating fury in the party.

Donna Brazile, an African American strategist, said last week: “If 795 of my colleagues decide this election, I will quit the Democratic Party.”

And, MyDD founder and now Open Leftist Chris Bowers:

If the institution that exists to resolve disputes within the American center-left does not operate according to democratic principles, then I see no reason to continue participating within that institution. If that institution fails to respect democratic principles in its most important internal contest of all–nominating an individual for President of the United States–then I will quit the Democratic Party.

….. This is not a negotiable position.

UPDATE 3: It’s reasonable to be concerned that Mrs. Clinton and her campaign might leave the Democratic Party in the same condition as campaign workers left places they stayed in Iowa and New Hampshire (HTs to Wonkette and BSB).

UPDATE 4: Three words for this — “Deck chairs. Titanic.”

UPDATE 5: The Maine details —

CBS News reports that “even when the support of uncommitted super delegates is figured in….. Obama holds a razor-thin lead with 1,134 delegates overall to 1,131 for Clinton.” UPDATE 5A, Feb. 11: Real Clear Politics has it at 1137-1134 Obama. RCP is missing a few Mainers; including them makes it 1140-1135 Obama.

UPDATE 6, Feb. 12 — Gabriel Malor at Ace’s place wonders who John Edwards will endorse. The answer is that it doesn’t matter. It’s pretty clear that almost all of his supporters have already gone to Obama.

From a Today Show report (video is at link):

Nick Nelson, 9, shows off new prosthetic leg that enables him to walk again

Updated 10:11 a.m. ET, Fri., Feb. 8, 2008

A brave young boy decided to have his right leg amputated in November to avoid a lifetime in a wheelchair and so that he could run and jump like normal kids. On Friday, glowing with pride, Nick Nelson showed off his new prosthetic leg and the mobility and freedom it has given him.

With the cameras rolling, 9-year-old Nick made a grand entrance, scampering across the TODAY Show’s New York studio, hopping up on the set and clambering onto the couch where his parents, Gary and Greta Nelson, and 10-year-old sister, Naomi, waited for him.

Nick told TODAY co-host Matt Lauer he has just one complaint about his new limb: “It makes a weird, clicky sound when I walk,” he said. “Now I can’t sneak into my sister’s room.”

Naomi showed no sympathy. “I can still outrun him,” she boasted.

Nick and his family had been on TODAY on the day before Thanksgiving. A month earlier, he had undergone the amputation surgery in the Minneapolis area, where he lives, and he was impatient because he hadn’t yet gotten his new leg.

On Christmas Day, he opened a package under the tree and with a smile of delight pulled out his new limb.

Nick was born with a rare birth defect called popliteal pterygium syndrome. Caused by one defective gene, the syndrome expressed itself as winglike webs of tissue growing behind his knees that prevented him from being able to extend his legs.

He has undergone numerous surgeries in his young life that have given him more mobility in his left leg, but his right leg was getting progressively worse. The web could not be entirely cut away because it is packed with nerves. Finally, doctors said that if Nick didn’t undergo the amputation, he would end up being confined to a wheelchair for life.

In November, Nick said that he just wanted to be able to jump and run and climb the jungle gym. Now, he can do all of those things. …..

Go here for the rest of the story.