via MAL Contends

Most rational, honest observers (those are not whom we see on cable TV) know that absent a historic meltdown by Obama, Hillary Clinton has virtually no chance of winning the Democratic nomination.

Her nine-digit win in the quasi-machine state of Pennsylvania excites only those with a vested interest in seeing her continue in the race.

Here's an updated reposting of one rationale explaining why Hillary stays in, consistent with known facts: A third-party/independent run.

In Hillary Clinton's willingness to blow up a historic Democratic constituency (the African-American vote, now voting against here nine-to-one), her embrace of John McCain's national security credentials over Barack Obama's, and her utilization of rightwing media organs to smear Obama, right as her money is drying up, one sees at least the outlines of a rationale for the messianic Hillary to morph into Joe Lieberman and stage an independent run for the presidency.

Update: John Nichols: A Baldwin shift to Obama could send crucial message

Voters in US Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s 2nd congressional district in Wisconsin on Feb. 19 delivered a resounding victory to Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton—65 to 34 percent.

As a superdelegate, Rep. Baldwin has pledged her support behind Hillary Clinton.

Now Clinton has engaged in unrelenting negative attacks on Obama using the Republican tactics of personal destruction, dubbed the “kitchen sink” strategy. [See Dear Hillary, We're Breaking Up for an instructive overview.]

In this despicable enterprise, Clinton is destined to fail, but not without first doing a lot of harm.