Tomorrow represents the end of the first stage of the 2008 election. This glorious election that has the potential to shift our country’s sputtering course – and has sapped our collective brains for over a year already – will finally move to Phase Two: General. Some time late tomorrow evening Barack Obama will emerge with a victory in Texas – having sewn up Vermont earlier – and will go to bed no longer as the presumptive front runner but the presumptive nominee.

Evidence of inevitability is everywhere. The attacks from HRC-supporting talking heads are becoming more pointed (and exaggerated). The ACTUAL opposition has begun targeting him, and most noticeably, the Clinton campaign has become desperate.

Polling suggests Clinton will win tomorrow in Ohio, but not by much. As for Texas, with its wacky primary+caucus=primary election, Obama holds a narrow lead in recent polling but has a distinct advantage in organizing for caucuses – evidenced by his ass kicking in every caucus state (save for Nevada).

If these trends hold – Clinton wins Ohio by 5ish points, Obama takes Texas by 3-6, Clinton wins RI by 8-10, and Obama wins VT by roughly 20 – Obama wins the nomination. The Clinton camp is already politicking expectations as Hillary herself recently mentioned to a reporter that a win in OH and a narrow loss in Texas is reason enough to stay in until the PA primary on April 22nd. This is beyond stupid, and probably won’t happen. Obama isn’t just eeking out a win thanks to a cash influx, he’s plowed through double digit deficits he was facing just a few weeks back. Such a rise cannot be ignored

Shifting expectations AGAIN will not be enough of a buoy for the Clinton camp. A victory tomorrow for Obama in Texas will turn the recent superdelegate shift from a trickle into a flood. Media outlets, as much as they love this fight, will also be eager to turn to the Obama-McCain intrigue.

This primary will not be going to Denver. It will be concluding tomorrow. And then… on to the next stage.