Senator Clinton and former President Clinton, arguably two of the nation's best and most experienced politicians, are getting lapped by Senator and Mrs. Obama in the race to the nomination because they let the Obamas define the issues. 

According to his supporters, Saint Barack of Obama can cast out any and all of the devils - and there are many - which currently reside in our body cultural.  Senator Obama's messianic powers notwithstanding, there is aother factor at play in his recent surge to the front in both the primaries and the polls as well as the delegate count: for some reason, following HRC's unexpected triumph in New Hampshire, Hil and Bill started letting the Obama campaign frame the debate instead of relying on Hillary's tested strengths.  As a result, she has lost most of her support in the African American community which has led to hits in both of their reputations and losses at the ballot box.

How did this happen? 

Well, for one thing Bill Clinton is nowhere near as effective when it comes to being the supportive spouse of the candidate as he was at being the candidate himself and he has been shrewdly outplayed in that role by Michelle Obama.  Mrs. Obama adeptly reminded African Americans that on many issues - including racial pride and empowerment - an Obama presidency was more aligned with their community than a Clinton presidency might be.  Rather than let Michelle Obama's subtle call draw off those African American voters to whom it made sense, Hillary, Bill and many of their supporters - both white and African American - dug in their heels and made some politically incorrect remarks; suddenly a nominating process that had been remarkably free of race was about little else. 

Now as an aging white woman I believe a case can be made that ageism and sexism are in many cases at least as virulent as racism and that Senator Obama - whether intentionally or not - has made a few politically incorrect remarks of his own.  However, within the ranks of Senator Obama's core constituencies old and women aren't quite the rallying cries that Starbucks and post partisan are.

The seeming insensitivity of the Clinton campaign toward African American voters turned what might have been a large but manageable exodus of black voters from the Clinton camp into a nearly wholesale desertion.  This coupled with Senator Clinton's somewhat awkward courting of the Latino vote gave her a win in California but allowed the Obama campaign to depict the Clintons as the scheming "politicians" their enemies had always claimed they were.  There is nothing worse when you are battling a messiah than to be painted as a Roman.  The wooing of super delegates and the really, really bad idea of suggesting that the Michigan and Florida delegations be seated made it seem as though the hapless Clintons were piling on themselves.  In just a couple of weeks a candidate who has the legitimate right to describe herself as a groundbreaker has morphed instead into a throwback to the smoke filled rooms of political bosses and cronyism.

As Senator Clinton has appeared to be increasingly vulnerable even her solid base of support amongst older women and blue collar white voters has eroded.  Had the Clinton campaign ceded the inevitable shift in her support amongst African Americans and stayed on message as a strong supporter of women, the poor and the less educated of all races she might well be on a more solid footing today.  Incredibly she and Bill have allowed Obama Democrats to take a page from the very successful Republican playbook: set the parameters for the fight.  Republicans aren't anti-choice, they are pro-life.  It's not an inheritance tax, it's a death tax.  You want universal health care, then you're for socialized medicine. 

Obama Democrats have told us Hillary isn't experienced, she's old news.  Senator Clinton isn't a knowledgeable, respected voice on the Iraq War with a plan for getting the United States out of Iraq, she's that harpy who voted for the war and now - oh, my - won't apologize.  Her health care plan isn't cheaper and more universal than Senator Obama's, it speaks of mandates (you know that's damn near to socialized medicine).

Although the dreaded "m" words (money, momentum and media) do seem to be on Senator Obama's side there is still a chance that Senator Clinton can turn this back into a horse race.

First, she must stop  turning her head every time Mr. Obama jerks the reins.  Senator Clinton must return to her roots and those roots don't include making any remarks about the African American vote or wasting her time explaing away her losses.  History, Hil, get on with it.

Second, she must articulate even more detailed plans for universal health care and other viable economic programs targeted at her base.

Third, Senator Clinton must today renouce any sort of brokered convention.

There is time.  Hillary has wide leads in Ohio and Pennsylvania and a good lead in that weird thing they do in Texas.  Still, if Senator Clinton is going to turn it around she has to quit playing Senator Obama's game and start making the rules for herself.