The Schultz Report: Time to start talking about the post-Clinton era in Democratic politics?

In this week’s audiocast, Hamline prof and Minnesota political analyst David Schultz says he’s taking all the post-Tuesday talk about dream tickets and graceful exits with a very large grain of salt. At this point, says Schultz, “Everybody has realized that Clinton can’t win, and that the tone she’s taking is really damaging to her and the party.  Everybody realizes it except for her. She has said she’s going to fight on to Denver. She’s sworn she’s in it to the end. She has loaned herself $10-11 million and probably will be loaning herself more money.

“George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson, who did that awful debate a few weeks ago, did some analysis and they were speculating that maybe Clinton will try to negotiate an exit by demanding the vice presidency. But Obama doesn’t have to negotiate at this point. He’s won. He doesn’t have to put her on the ticket, and he’d be foolish if he did.

“Second, people are speculating that she’ll stay on long enough to go out a winner, after she’s picked up West Virginia and Kentucky. I think what’s really going to happen is what [Peggy] Noonan said: She’s going to start to twist and slowly die. Her fundraising is drying up, and advisers like Terry McAuliffe are suggesting that it’s going to end pretty quickly. I think you’ll see the mainstream media increasingly just stop covering her.

“I think she winds up going out pretty ugly at this point. And not only does it maybe hurt Obama longer term. In terms of how history views her, she won’t be looked on favorably after her departure from the race.”

More: In the second half of this week’s Schultz Report, we discuss the McCain gaffes of recent weeks that have drawn little scrutiny.

Listen: David Schultz on the end of the nomination race and the Democratic party’s changing of the guard (13:31)