And then, seemingly in the blink of an eye

The course of world events changes . . .

From the Drudge Report:

Facing a double-digit defeat in New Hampshire, a sudden collapse in national polls and an expected fund-raising drought, Senator Hillary Clinton is preparing for a tough decision: Does she get out of the race? And when?!

"She can't take multiple double-digit losses in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada," laments one top campaign insider. "If she gets too badly embarrassed, it will really harm her. She doesn't want the Clinton brand to be damaged with back-to-back-to-back defeats."

Meanwhile, Democrat hopeful John Edwards has confided to senior staff that he is staying in the race because Hillary "could soon be out."

MORE

Key players in Clinton's inner circle are said to be split. James Carville is urging her to fight it out through at least February and Super Tuesday, where she has a shot at thwarting Barack Obama in a big state. But others close to the former first lady now see no possible road to victory, sources claim.

Developing...

[The dramatic reversal of fortunes has left the media establishment stunned and racing to keep up with fast-moving changes.

In its final poll before Iowa, CNN showed Clinton with a two-point lead over Obama. Editorial decisions were being made based on an understanding the Democratic primary race would be close, explained a network executive.]

Also on Drudge's front page:

RASMUSSEN: Clinton's lead in national polling collapse... now Clinton 33 Obama 29; Before Iowa showed Clinton 41 Obama 24... Developing...

Until this minute Clinton and her sycophants could claim that Mrs. Bill Clinton held a commanding lead in the national polls. That is no more.

Will Obama be able to survive the media anal exam that a frontrunner gets? Even a Democrat, who the MSM will be doing all it can to aid will still be subjected to vastly increased scrutiny once he reaches the top spot. What about the folder of damaging information the Clinton secret police have supposedly turned up on Obama? Will they release it to the media (through surrogates, of course) to attempt to sink nominee Obama?

After all with a Republican in the White House in 2008 that gives Mrs. Clinton another shot in 2012. If a Democrat is running for reelection that would put off Clinton's next possible attempt until 2016 at which time she will be too old.

Of course what are the chances that Hillary really will withdraw from the race? I think she will stay in. My gut tells me that someone with such poor political instincts as she has proven herself to have and such an insane lust for power as she has also proven herself to have will not be capable of dropping out of what will probably be her one and only chance to grab the political brass ring.

On the other hand a defeat would end her chances of ever advancing beyond the Senate and decisively end the Clinton machine's strangle hold on the Democrat Party. It would also diminish Bill Clintons appeal as someone Democrat candidates would want to campaign for them and it would put a serious dent into his earning power. While ex-presidents can always get book deals and command generous speaking fees the gravy train Billy Blow Job has been riding would come to an end because giving him an astronomical speaking fee would no longer be seen as a way of legally bribing the future president and power behind the throne of the DNC.

To add support to the idea that Mrs. Clinton is in genuine trouble is this from the New York Times:

DURHAM, N.H. — Is this what it would have been like had Elvis been reduced to playing Reno?

Former President Bill Clinton has been drawing sleepy and sometimes smallish crowds at big venues in the state that revived his presidential campaign in 1992. He entered to polite applause and rows of empty seats at the University of New Hampshire on Friday. Several people filed out midspeech, and the room was largely quiet as he spoke, with few interruptions for laughter or applause. He talked about his administration, his foundation work and some about his wife.

. . . [T]here was a similarly listless aura at the previous stop, in Rochester. And again, on Saturday in Bow, at just the sort of high school gym that the master campaigner used to blow out. Only about 225 showed up in Bow — about one-third the capacity of the room — to hear Mr. Clinton hit his bullet points on the subprime lending crisis, $100 barrels of oil and how “10 of Hillary’s fellow senators have endorsed her.”

“The crowd seemed very passive,” Arthur Cunningham of Bow said after the speech. “Maybe they were tired.” [of the Clintons - LC]

The New Hampshire voters are turning away from Mrs. Clinton because it now looks like someone else can win and they never really liked her. They just thought she was the only one who could win.

Notice also that even with his wife on the ropes that Bill still can't make it about anything other than himself. "He talked about his administration, his foundation work and some about his wife."

"SOME" about his wife? She was supposed to be the reason that he was there. When this is all over someone should ask Hillary if even a shot at the presidency was worth staying married to that malignant narcissist.

Again let me stress this. I do not think that Hillary Clinton is going to drop out. At least not this early. However I admit that my desire not to get suckered by falling for something that I so desperately want to believe could be making me excessively skeptical.