Let’s get ready to rumble!!! It looks like we have a battle going on for Heavy Weight Champion of the Democratic Party. Even more exciting it’s coming down to G-W’s old stumping ground… where we do everything big, Texas.

I watched last night’s debate. I did something a little different though. I watched with the volume turned off. I wanted to score the debate/fight on how much damage I saw inflicted.

The debate/fight didn’t live up to all the hype. Most fights don’t. The anointed champion of the Democratic Party (Clinton) tried to throw a few punches but none of them really affected the contender (Obama). On the other hand Obama didn’t throw any at all. I admit I was a little disappointed.

Some may say that Obama didn’t have to throw any punches. I disagree. He has not won the nomination yet. As a matter of fact, Obama could have delivered a crushing blow to Clinton in last night’s debate. She’s been calling for a debate. She got it. He could have whipped her on her own terms once and for all. He didn’t in my view.

I gave the fight/debate to Clinton on a “decision”. She clearly was the aggressor with Obama being the deflector at best. I think she finished with a nice flurry at the end. Obama defended himself to most people’s satisfaction, but this was not what party officials wanted to see from him. He’s campaigning as a consensus maker and one who will not revert to politics as usual.

Unfortunately, I don’t think McCain, the Republican Party or the media will quite see the general election in that light. They will go for blood. Obama must show the rest of his party, especially the super delegates that he can fight. His unwillingness to fight is viewed as a strength in the public, but might be viewed a weakness amongst his fellow Democrats.

In any championship fight, the contender needs to land a decisive victory over the champ. Ideally it needs to be a definitive knock out. Otherwise the judges, who are boxing experts (super delegates), have to decide the winner. The experts are very slow to go against the champ. They see the champ’s ability to remain standing as the mark of a champion. You might be able to hurt the champ but you can’t knock out the champ. They also see the contender’s inability to knock out the champ as a sign that the contender is not ready to be champ. The contender has to clearly and decisively take the title.

Obama is letting Clinton hang around. Her supporters see this as resilience. If he allows her to catch her breath and regain her footing it won’t look good for him.

Clinton is clearly on the ropes. The crowd is on their feet screaming and yelling. He is pounding on her in the primaries. Her financial backers (corner men) are questioning her finances. Many are quietly hinting that they should throw in the towel. Her punches aren’t fazing Obama.

But for some reason he won’t knock her out! Now is the time for Obama to knock her out! But while she was flailing wildly at him trying to make it a fight, he wanted to dance. That scores him Kumbaya points in the public, but keep in mind that the general public doesn’t choose the nominee.

Quiet as it’s kept, many of the super delegates don’t think he can! There in lies Obama’s dilemma.

If Clinton is still in the race in mid-march, John McCain will win hands down and here’s why.

Hillary will win the Democratic nomination. What the hell!!!!!! Settle down and let me explain.

If Obama doesn’t show the judges, the Democratic machine, that he can knock her out as weak as she is now they will doubt his ability to fight and beat McCain. Key party officials are going to ask Obama to take a back seat to Hillary. Hillary knows how to fight "with the gloves off". Bill will be right there to get his licks in too.

In exchange, they will pitch Obama sweet deals to boost up his resume for 2012.

Hillary is going to go head to head with McCain.

McCain wins in the end. Republicans think he’s a kindler gentler Bush. He is not Republican enough, but he’ll do. Many Democrats aren’t going to vote for Hillary because they’ll feel Obama got the shaft.

Expect to see a riff soon between the Democratic hardliners and the rank in file Democrat.

The American public, especially the Democrats, are tired of politics as usual and this is Obama’s selling point. However the hardliners on both sides want to win! To win they understand that they need to be able and willing to fight… politics as usual.

The Democratic hardliners want a liberal thug that they can trust sometimes. They want a person who is liberal enough to institute social change, thuggish enough to do fight with Republicans and trustworthy enough to know they won’t lie to them all the time.

The Democratic public on the other hand wants to party all the way to the White House. We’ll see who wins out. It should be interesting.

In the meantime… Party Like a Barack.... Party Like a Barack Star!!!

That’s my 20 cents!