THE INEVITABILITY PROBLEM. Over at Slate we're seeing a big picture of Barack Obama looking very sad, accompanied by the headline, "Is it Time for Obama to Panic?" John Dickerson gets it right: As I reported, Obama rocked the house at the SEIU candidates' forum Monday, but that kind of soaring rhetoric and shouting, activist delivery isn't enough to get him elected. It won't translate to more general audiences, and while it proves Obama is an inspirational speaker, it doesn't prove he can govern. Dickerson suggests several tactics to help Obama overcome the growing feeling of inevitability around Hillary Clinton. First, he could attack Clinton more explicitly, or dig deep and publicize any dirt on her he can find. Alternatively, he could take the high road and let John Edwards roll in the mud with Hillary. Lastly, he could renew excitement by beating the rest of the field in fundraising again this quarter. The problem is that we've seen Obama try all of these strategies already, to no concrete jump in his poll numbers. Then again, it's still early. It was around this time in 2003 that most pundits decided John Kerry would never be able to revitalize his campaign. --Dana Goldstein
