The Clintons have not just lost the nomination, they've lost the heart and soul of the Democratic Party.

Shortly after Texas and Ohio, when anyone paying attention knew that Hillary simply could no longer defeat what her supporters referred to as "the maths problem", I used to be amazed at how so many broadsheets - both here and in the US - continued to talk as if we were still witnessing a very close race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

What a difference a couple of months makes.

Hillary has just pulled of a massive 68% to 32% victory over Obama in Puerto Rico which the Guardian have referred to as "her swan song" and the Independent have labelled her campaign's "death throes."

What's taken newspapers so long to report accurately on the narrative that has actually been developing here?

Did it suit their purposes to make out that a contest, which was essentially over, was actually "neck and neck"?

Ridiculously, her campaign continue to make the argument that the super delegates should plonk for her, which isn't so much wishful thinking as further proof that her campaign team are either shameless or simply barking mad.

"Well clearly, it ultimately comes down to the delegates. But I think it's very important to note that Hillary Clinton will have received more votes than anyone ever running for president on either side in primary battle," her campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe stressed on ABC television.

The claim that she has received more votes than anyone ever running for president is based on counting Michigan, where Obama's name was not even on the ballot paper, and discounting several caucus states from the tally.

The fact that Obama was awarded delegates from Michigan would appear to undermine the logic of the Clinton camps argument, but they have given up on logic a long, long time ago.

And the fact that Obama was awarded those delegates points to a much more telling truth:

Mr Ickes was signalling Hillary and Bill Clinton's fury at party leaders who once cowed before them. It was as clear a sign as any, according to the respected NBC political analyst, Chuck Todd, that "the Democratic National Committee is not somehow controlled by the Clintons ... any more."

"This is Barack Obama's party now. He's already been winning the outside game. He now won the inside game," Mr Todd said.

At the beginning of this campaign Hillary, with her name recognition and her twenty point lead, appeared unassailable. Somewhere along the line the Clintons lost not only the nomination but the heart and soul of the Democratic party itself.

Her campaign was vicious and nasty and, at times, appeared more concerned with damaging Obama than John McCain. She threatened to throw the kitchen sink at Obama and then went on to do just that.

I am terribly pleased that such a cynical campaign has floundered, but I also feel that she would never have been able to go on as long as she did had newspapers been reporting the true story of where both the candidates really stood regarding their chances of obtaining victory.

However, by refusing to concede when victory became impossible, Hillary fatally traded away the Clinton magic for the support of a bunch of people who now threaten to vote Republican come November. That was a very bad deal any way you look at it.

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Tags: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, US election 2008, Democratic presidential nominee