It is 5:09am, February I had been up since 2:30am, writing, researching, filing and preparing for tomorrow’s or today’s obligations, all the while I watched CNN report on the Potomac Primary – Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland. I started watching at 8:30pm the night before. Everybody knows Senator Obama won big time. Equally impressive is the source of his victory. In Super Tuesday he won 57% of the youth, last night he won 68%. Super Tuesday 35% of the 65+ year olds, last night he won 51%. He won 59% last night over against 35% of the rural vote. Super Tuesday he won 47% of Latino vote to 53% in the Potomac Primaries. What this represents is a steady increase in groups that had been in Senator Clinton’s camp or who had not been Senator Obama’s supporters. He beat Hillary in the Latino community in Virginia; also he won the women’s vote, strongholds of the Clinton’s campaign.

This must cause great concern among Ms. Clinton’s supporters. Youth, college educated, independent, Blacks and white males have been Obama’s base. He is growing stronger in his base even while making inroads into Ms. Clinton’s base of support.

Another consideration that must worry the Clintons. Senator Obama is winning the Caucus states. This means skillful, tedious organizing. It takes a well-run organization to win Caucus states. In other words, Senator Obama is out organizing Senator Clinton. It is reported he has spent a lot of money on grassroots or base organizing. And on the question of money, he has raised substantially more cash than Mrs. Clinton. So, the Democratic nomination for Ms. Clinton doesn’t seem promising.

I really feel compassion for Mrs. Clinton. At times, she appears confused and/or stunned – like suddenly being hit by an unexpected blow or like a deer starring into the bright lights of an oncoming car. After New Hampshire, she said, “You helped me to find my voice,” but as the campaign progressed she must have lost her voice again. Top staff people have been fired. It seems she has inherited all her husband’s enemies and few of his friends. Also, for Mr. Clinton, my feelings go out to him. He has tried so hard – too hard, some would say – to help his wife and the media has not been kind to him.

Studying the campaigns, it seems there are two indefinable some things that are against Senator Clinton - momentum and destiny. Maybe, they are the same. There is a mystery about them. They just seem to happen or they seem to have minds of their own. Mysteriously they appear and mysteriously they disappear. Those of us, who have played or watched some form of sports, know about momentum. We call it the “mighty mo.” When it shows up you feel carried along. You can’t loose. Similarly, it also happens with destiny. When they are on your side, your opponents don’t stand a chance. A bad bounce that helps you or hinders the opposition, or a miracle play occurs. Consider for example, the catch made by David Tyree. After Eli Manning had miraculously eluded huge linemen, he threw a pass downfield. David, with an opposing player hanging on his back caught the ball with one hand holding it against his helmet as he falls to the ground. Somehow, the ball never hit the ground. This miracle catch, in the waning seconds of the game, enabled the New York Giants to beat the highly favored New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl Game. Or remember the catch by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series when the New York Giants beat the Cleveland Indians.

Momentum reminds me of two body motions; metabolism, the breaking down and building up of the body and peristalsis, the wavelike action in the colon that enables elimination of waste from the body. There is a lot of mystery around these two motions. They just seem to have always been there and without conscious effort, they just happen. Our health depends upon how well they function. Some health specialists have argued that all illness has its origin in the colon. So, momentum comes and goes like the wind. As of this writing, Senator Obama has the “mighty mo” on his side. How long? Who knows?

Also he has destiny smiling upon him. Things just seem to be going his way. He is a miracle man. Who can explain him? At this point, he is the “idea whose time has come.” But, who or what makes the idea come at a certain time in history? Some people say destiny is just another way of saying God, for people who, for what ever reason, don’t want to bring God into the game or subject, surely not into a political campaign.

Consider how strange and miraculous are the man and his campaign. A few months ago, most people didn’t know who he was. Mrs. Clinton was a sure winner. She had “all the toys in the sand box,” money, connection, experience, etc. It was thought that by Super Tuesday, it would be all over. The Democratic Party, with its standard bearer, Mrs. Clinton, would have months to strategize and fundraise in preparation for the General Election. Then something happened on the way to the coronation. Along comes this relatively young Black man with a funny name, unknown, or little known, limited connections and money. He was dismissed by some pundits, or the people who are supposed to know, as an object of laughter and ridicule. And now at this writing, he has defeated Mrs. Clinton in 10 states. He has passed her in delegates. He has raised more money and is better organized and he has “mighty mo” going for him. These developments now have pundits, former critics and naysayer, declaring Mr. Obama the winner to become the Democratic Candidate for President of the United States. Further, there are polls declaring him to be the winner, if John McCain is the Republican nominee. Could anybody image or dream or give time to the thought, a few months ago – in fact even now – that a Black man, a relatively unknown one at that, would be the Democratic candidate and would be a favorite to win the Office of the President of the United States of America.

A few months ago had we verbalized such a thing, we would have been dismissed as irrational, ridiculed as stupid or condescendingly winked upon as naïve; but wonders of wonders, miracle of miracle, here we are! Here he is! And it’s real! How can it be explained? Let the wise in these matters attempt to give a logical answer. Let the astute pundits provide a rational reason. Let others call it destiny, but when all is said and done their answers for me will not be sufficient.

Call me naïve, call me overly religious, and call me what you will, but it is only with reference to God, that I can understand these strange and mysterious developments, according to the Bible, “Gods ways are past finding out.”

If I am right about momentum and God – maybe momentum is initiated by God as is metabolism and peristalsis and the action of the sinus node, that fires the action that influences the rhythm of the heart – I say, if I am right, and I’m not sure if I want to be right, I have great admiration for the Clintons, I believe they are good and have done a lot of good for Black people in particular and the country in general, but if I am right, then it is written in the stars, the game is over. Forces beyond the control of either candidate are in charge. “The moving finger writes and having writ moves on. Neither words nor wit nor tears can lure back or make it change or cancel one line of it,” to paraphrase the fatalism of an Arabian writer.

Alas, poor Hillary, it wasn’t meant to be, unless, something miraculous should happen. Let me conclude with two other sports events. The Immaculate Reception; in the championship game between the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers on December 23, 1972. Franco Harris, caught a pass that bounced off a Dallas player, name Jack Tatum, into his arms while he was in full stride. He dashed across the goal line as the time clock ran out. That is why the play is called the Immaculate Reception. The other reference is to Doug Flutie of Boston College. On November 23, 1984, Boston College was behind the heavily favorite, unbeaten Miami Hurricanes. There was time for only one play. Flutie heaved a long pass into the Miami end zone. It ended up in the arms of a Boston player as the gun sounded ending the game. Flutie’s throw was named the “Hail Mary Pass.”

Maybe, there is a Hail Mary or an Immaculate Reception in Mrs. Clinton’s playbook. Maybe, something will persuade the mysteries to change their minds. God has been known to change his mind. In fact, recently, I preached a sermon on a King who was told by a Prophet to put his house in order for death awaited him. But after fervent and intense prayer, God added 15 years to the King’s life. I don’t know if there are praying people in the Clinton’s camp, if there are, they had better hurry and get in touch with the Almighty.

P.S. As of this writing, 2/20/08, Senator Obama has just won Wisconsin and Hawaii. The pundits are having a field’s day exhausting their vocabularies, employing similes, metaphors, analogies, describing Obama’s victory. John Roberts of CNN said, “If they were playing nine ball in a pool game the game would be over.” “He, Obama, keeps rolling along,” said Larry King, CNN. “Huge momentum for Obama,” – Wolfe Blitzer, CNN

March 4th Election, Texas and Ohio are must wins for Senator Clinton, even her husband the former President, Bill Clinton, said, “If she doesn’t win those states, its all over for her.” There are those who have already written Mrs. Clinton’s political obituary. Still others say she has to not only win, but she must win big.

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