History Made, History Denied

History was made Tuesday night when Senator Barack Obama of Illinois earned enough delegates to qualify as the Democratic presidential nominee, the first African-American to do so. He will make it official in Denver this August.

History will be made this weekend, according to news reports, when Senator Hillary Clinton of New York ends her campaign to become the first female president and supports Obama.

The primary season has been one long, strange trip. Debates nearly every week. Appearances on late-night comedy shows. Pastors who talk too much. Charisma versus competency. A former president stumping for his wife. Disputes over delegates in states that held their primaries too early. Gaffes the size of bomb craters in Kosovo. And others too numerous to mention.

But it's all over now. The time has come to praise both Clinton and Obama for running excellent, if not always perfect, campaigns. They have brought a new excitement to a moribund political scene, bringing in more voters than any campaign in recent memory.

The race for the White House has reached the next phase, with Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain of Arizona mulling over which running mate they should pick.

For Obama, the choice should be anyone but Hillary Clinton, no matter how much pressure he is getting from other Democrats. Clinton is too strong a personality to ever want to play second fiddle to a man whose office she covets. And, of course, there's her husband to contend with. Let her go back to her day job.

For McCain, he should pick someone who has better conservative credentials than he does. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is one possibility. But he needs to focus on running his state instead of dreaming about what it would be like, sharing the podium at the Republican National Convention in his home base of St. Paul with nominee McCain. Besides, if Pawlenty does become vice-president, that means disgraced Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau takes over.

The road to Denver and the Twin Cities has just begun, with Obama and McCain taking potshots at each other on various issues and raising even more money for the fall campaign.

Come November, one of these men will be making history once again.