These two videos show how Clinton will clinch the Democratic nomination on June 7

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Hillary Clinton

Only a few contests remain in the Democratic nomination schedule. The Virgin Islands will vote on June 4, followed by Puerto Rico on June 5. The final primary is June 14 in Washington, D.C.

Between those are the contests of June 7 in New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and California.

The best estimates are that Clinton will clinch the nomination with delegates from New Jersey. (See a clear, detailed analysis here.)

And this clip from June 3, 2008 shows what that will look like.

As you can see, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer interrupted the airing of a speech by John McCain to announce that Obama “will be the Democratic presidential nominee,” based on projections of the number of delegates Obama would win in South Dakota.

Those delegates, Blitzer stated, “would bring Obama over the top” in the delegate tally, which included both pledged delegates, which are allocated by voters in primaries and caucuses, and superdelegates, who have always gone with the winner of pledged delegates.

Later that night, Obama made a speech in Minnesota that acknowledged he had clinched the nomination and praised Clinton.

While Obama and the press marked him clinching the nomination, Clinton wasn’t quite done.

But four days later, on June 7, 2008, Hillary Clinton conceded to Obama.

Clinton celebrated her campaign, saying:

Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it and the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time.

That has always been the history of progress in America. Think of the suffragists who gathered at Seneca Falls in 1848 and those who kept fighting until women could cast their votes.

Think of the abolitionists who struggled and died to see the end of slavery. Think of the civil rights heroes and foot soldiers who marched, protested, and risked their lives to bring about the end of segregation and Jim Crow.

Because of them, I grew up taking for granted that women could vote and, because of them, my daughter grew up taking for granted that children of all colors could go to school together. [source]

Clinton also endorsed Barack Obama and called on her backers to support him.

Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Senator Obama is our next president.

And I hope and pray that all of you will join me in that effort. [source]

How much of this will we see of this next week?

What Sanders will do is hard to say.

As Politico reported on May 25:

Asked during a brief interview this week at the Capitol when her husband would return to the Senate, Jane Sanders responded, “After the 8th.” But she quickly backtracked and said, “I don’t know.” California and a host of other states are holding their contests on June 7. A Sanders campaign spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment to clarify Jane Sanders’ comments.

However, Sanders has also recently talked about continuing his quest for the nomination even after all the primaries are complete.

But certainly there will be versions of the first two videos.

Like in June 2008, the press will announce that Clinton clinched and she will make a speech about her status as the presumptive nominee.

Amy Fried

About Amy Fried

Amy Fried loves Maine's sense of community and the wonderful mix of culture and outdoor recreation. She loves politics in three ways: as an analytical political scientist, a devoted political junkie and a citizen who believes politics matters for people's lives. Fried is Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. Her views do not reflect those of her employer or any group to which she belongs.