We now have our candidate and don’t have to worry about a protracted battle going into our convention. Our candidate has more than enough time to concentrate on fundraising while the Democrats bloody each other over the next few months. Both of them are going to have to spend a lot more money fighting each other and though the focus of the press will be on them, it will be negative. And it looks like a convention fight is looming because neither of them have enough votes to secure the nomination.
And with Clinton still in the race she and McCain will be spending the next few months softening up Obama for the general. Neither Clinton nor Obama will have time to define McCain but Clinton and McCain appear to be in agreement on how to define Obama: inexperienced and not ready to be the commander in chief during a time of war (btw, any attempt that Obama makes in referencing McCain’s age can be turned against Obama in highlighting his inexperience).

With losses in three out of four primaries yesterday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and his campaign face a scenario that a barrage of advertising, phone calls and door-knocking could not avert — a protracted, two-front war against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain.
Even before the polls opened, campaign officials were dreading an outcome that would keep Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the race at least through the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. Those seven weeks will cost Obama at least $10 million, and possibly much more, campaign aides say, as he battles a rejuvenated Clinton who will have every incentive to try to force him into a major mistake.
Obama aides also expect to take concentrated fire from McCain (Ariz.) and his Republican allies, who have already begun raising questions about the 46-year-old Democratic senator’s credibility, authenticity and even his patriotism.
[…]
McCain has already made clear how he will try to brand Obama if they are opponents in November, drawing on the Illinois Democrat’s Senate votes on abortion, taxes and guns as evidence that he is out of the mainstream.
But more broadly, Republicans are poised to offer what they consider a stark contrast between McCain’s lifetime of experience — in war, in the Senate, in politics — and a caricature of a young, inexperienced neophyte with little but fancy rhetoric to offer.
That is a line of attack Clinton has tried for weeks. But McCain’s advisers say they think their candidate will be more effective in convincing the public that Obama is not ready to lead the nation, especially during an economic downturn and while waging two wars overseas.

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Actually it was more effect than they realize. From the exit poll data from Ohio:
More Qualified to be Commander in Chief: Clinton 60% Obama 37%
Does Obama Have Clear Plan for Country: Yes 55% No 42% (as opposed to Clinton’s 68% to 30%).
From Texas:
More Qualified to be Commander in Chief: Clinton 56% Obama 38%
Does Obama Have Clear Plan for Country: Yes 53% No 45% (as opposed to Clinton’s 66% to 31%)
And from RI:
More Qualified to be Commander in Chief: Clinton 62% Obama 35%
Does Obama Have Clear Plan for Country: Yes 50% No 48% (as opposed to Clinton’s 71% to 27%)
I would say that her message is getting out and having an effect. Yes, it was certainly a good night indeed 🙂