Prediction: The last primary is June 3rd.  A well placed, high ranking Democratic Party official tells me that on June 4th, it is likely that enough uncommitted superdelegates will make up their minds on whether to back Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton and the bet is, the official said, Obama will get the obamasister72official nod.

True, Hillary Clinton did apparently win Indiana as of this writing, but Obama’s margin of victory over Clinton in North Carolina is likely to convince many of those uncommitted superdelgates that, though flawed, Obama will be the party’s best bet against John McCain come November.

A powerful argument runs counter to this, tough. It goes like this: Obama has a real problem winning the big, industrial states. That should make Clinton the more attractive presidential candidate.

But, the superdelegates (party officials, congresspeople, governors and others elected and not) who will end up deciding this contest, are more than likely going to end up giving the nomination to Obama anyway because, in many ways, it is the easier thing to do: Obama will clearly have more pledged delegates than Clinton come June 3rd and more of the popular vote. Behind the scene, one superdelegate tells me, there is enormous pressure to solve the Florida/Michigan fiasco with a 50-50 split decision which would still leave Obama with more of the popular vote and more of the pledged delegates.

No Denver Battle

No one really wants this thing to be unsettled come convention time in Denver in August. It would be too unpredictable.

By the time the convention begins, the Democratic Party will have its presidential and vice-presidential nominees.

Obama will be the presidential nominee. But, who will be his veep?

Stay tuned.