Spin Cycle

It will be a good night early for Clinton, and a good night late for Obama, if expectations are fulfilled.

Polls close in Kentucky at 6 pm Eastern time in the east, 7 pm Eastern in the west. Clinton is lined up for a big win, probably 2-1, as Obama for the second week in a row made the strategic decision to audition in the role of presumptive Democratic nominee with nothing to say to white voters in Appalachia.

That means that Clinton will get an early declaration of victory on TV, will be able to give her speech and plug hillaryclinton.com for money and promise to soldier on in prime time.

Oregon, where Obama holds a solid but less spectacular lead in most polls, is a vote by mail state. Ballots can be dropped off until 11 pm Eastern time. And, it's hard to exit-poll mail-in voters. So Obama may have to wait to crow.