Although "Obama Fever" has paled somewhat in the wake of "Huckabee Hysteria," the new "Hillary is finished" bandwagon has not lost much momentum this week.

A few thoughts:

1. Obama can win. You read it here first (back in January).

2. But he has some very tough sledding ahead. As I laid out here last month.

3. Keep in mind, all the media know-it-alls who are predicting the imminent demise of Hillary Clinton this week are the same experts who were mindlessly parroting her inevitability last month.

The real story: Nobody Knows Anything. We are still almost one month out from a canvass. The story is going to shift several times before then. It is going to be wild--but the race in Iowa, as it has been for six months, remains too close to call. Nationally, Hillary still holds the upper hand.

4. Oprah? If we allow Oprah to pick our next president, I fear we will get the government we deserve. A thought: Oprah helps Obama most where he is the strongest: upwardly mobile white women. Hill is still strong with working-class women and minorities. But here is the great irony: I have a hunch that Democratic men will save Hillary, seeing her as their most pragmatic and hard-headed option in a troubled world.

With the aid of Oprah, Obama becomes the candidate of the tender-hearted. Edwards keeps the incorrigibly soft-headed. And Hillary remains the choice for the tough-minded. Of course, this leads to an obvious question: are there still enough clear-eyed men with calloused hands, stout hearts, and good old-fashioned horse sense in the Democratic Party to influence an election?