Traders Flock to Obama
February 12, 2008 02:04 PM ET | James Pethokoukis | U.S. News and World Report


Take it for what it's worth, but most of the Washington Wise Guys I talk to think the Democratic presidential race is over and Barack Obama will be the nominee. (Also note that the betting markets over at RealClearPolitics now give Obama a 70 percent chance of defeating Hillary Clinton.) The WWGs point to the 3 M's:

1) Money. Can Obama be the first $200 million candidate? Yes, he can.

2) Momentum. Obama is poised to win the Potomac primary today, giving him a seven-state winning streak since Super Tuesday. And while momentum has been a fickle force this primary season, the WWGs expect Obamamania to begin peeling way Hillary's potential voters in critical upcoming states like Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania. To quote Patton: "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser."

3) Media. Do the media favor Obama over Hillary? I will just say this: I don't know too many reporters around this town who feel like writing another single word about Monica Lewinsky, the Rose Law Firm, Whitewater, Vince Foster, Travelgate, or cattle futures. Give us brand-new scandals, please! (And not to mention that many of our teenage and 20-something kids are like an Obama fifth column in our families, constantly nudging us to watch that catchy will.i.am Pro-Obama video on YouTube.)